The Life of a Paramedic
by Stargazer1987
Summary: In a parallel universe, June Darby is a Paramedic working for Jasper Co. Hospital. Jack is a mechanic and recently met the Autobots unbeknownst to his mother. When a vengeful Megatron orders a Decepticon to kill June after her son Jack saves Optimus Prime, the Paramedic is rescued by the most unlikely person imaginable. Her ambulance...(M rate for mild cursing & graphic injuries)
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: Hello all! I figured I would write a story concerning June Darby since she really didn't get much of a spotlight in the Transformers Prime show. All that was revealed about her was that Jack's father isn't a part of their family for whatever reason, she is a nurse at a hospital, likes Tofu (yuck .), has a garden, really likes Optimus (which will come in later in the story but no romance), and is the mother of Jack Darby. This story is an alternate/parallel world of Transformers Prime in which June is a paramedic instead of a nurse. I won't write anything too graphic by way of injuries but just to be safe I will rate this story T. There may also be mild swearing. I hope you enjoy! Please review and thanks for reading!

Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers. Only my original characters. I do not own the Code of Ethics and EMT Oath. This material belongs to NAEMT, or at least that's what they were called on the website I found. I found the website doing a google search. As for the oath I used in this story it's not the entire thing. I just picked the most relevant parts out for the purpose of this story.

 **Chapter 1**

The shrill wailing of emergency sirens pierced the quiet night of Jasper Nevada. A young woman jolted awake and gasped for breath as a surge of adrenaline pounded through her system. June Darby glanced at the alarm clock on her nightstand and sighed with relief.

No. She wasn't late for work.

As a matter of fact, it was only four a.m. and she technically had another two hours to sleep. She tried to relax. She tossed and turned, trying to get some decent shut-eye before her daily shift began at Jasper County Hospital. Eventually she realized it was useless and that she was very much awake, so she got up and began to get herself ready for the day. It was Monday. While most would dread going to work or simply hate Mondays in general, June was thrilled. She loved her job. Today was her thirteenth-year anniversary as a paramedic. That wasn't all she did.

June also happened to be a single mother.

Her sixteen-year-old son Jack was a sophomore in high school. On the days that June had to pull a double shift, she often worried about him. It had become a habit for Jack to send her text messages telling her that he was fine and hanging out with some of his friends on the evenings she couldn't come home to make dinner. Unfortunately, June's busy work life prevented her from ever getting the chance to meet his friends. She trusted her son though. He was a good, responsible young man and had a good judge of character. June knew that her son would never fall in with the wrong crowd. He was a straight-"A" student, never got into trouble at school, and was always on time for his part-time job at K.O. drive-in.

In another two years her son would be a high school graduate. He planned to move on to a technical college. Jack had a gift for mechanics. He was her little handyman around the house whenever something broke. His skills did not go unnoticed either. Recently an army recruiter took a look at one of Jack's aptitude tests and saw that the boy had the highest score in the mechanical and electrical engineering fields. June was very proud of him. Jack kindly and respectfully declined the recruiter's offer. He wanted to be a car mechanic…it was his dream. June encouraged Jack to follow and pursue it. Even if someday he changed his mind, no matter what he chose, he would always have a proud mother.

After a refreshing shower, June got dressed. She made it a habit to iron and press her uniforms. The hospital gave them three sets of clothes since the job was rather demanding and it was sometimes hard to find the time to clean them. She buttoned up her white collared shirt that had the universal paramedic symbol patched on her right shoulder and the Jasper County Hospital's logo etched on the left shoulder. Clipped to one of the shirts front pockets was her identification badge. Inside the pocket was her key card to the emergency room and a pen-light. After slipping into her black slacks, she pulled on her utility belt that had two Velcro pouches that contained mini first-aid responder kits. She would further equip it with a walkie-talkie and ambulance keys once she clocked in at the hospital. Once June's shoes were polished and laced up she admired herself in the mirror and made sure that nothing was out of place. She had to appear professional.

An hour went by and it would soon be time for Jack to get ready for school. She went into the kitchen and smiled when she spotted her son's most recent report card. The lowest grade he had on there was an A- and that was because he had been sick one day and got a little behind in his studies.

June Darby went about preparing to cook breakfast and opened the fridge. She took out a carton of eggs and a package of bacon and shut the door. Then she snagged a box of pancake mix and began to cook. She glanced at the dining room clock and smiled. It had been a long time since she had the opportunity to fix her son a decent breakfast.

She brewed a fresh pot of hazelnut coffee.

By the time breakfast was ready, Jack was awake. He got himself ready for school and then met his mother in the dining room. Truth be told he awoke much earlier than he needed to simply because of the delicious aroma that wafted in his room from the kitchen.

"Wow this smells good. Thanks for breakfast!" Jack smiled as he took the proffered plate his mother was handing him.

"You're welcome, sweet-heart. I'm not sure what my schedule is going to be like today but I will try to be home by six."

"Okay," Jack smiled around a mouthful of pancakes.

The fact that her son inhaled his food at a record of four minutes attested to the fact that he was still growing. She laughed when Jack ran into the kitchen to scrounge whatever scraps were leftover.

"Slow down Jack, you're going to give yourself a stomach ache if you eat it like that."

"I can't help it! It's so good!" Jack laughed as he finished his breakfast. He hugged his mother and kissed her forehead in farewell.

"Have a good day at school!"

"I will! I hope you have a good shift at work!" Jack shouted as he hastily pulled on his sneakers and ran out the door.

Now it was time for June to depart. She cleaned up the kitchen and after filling her thermos full of hazelnut coffee, flew out of the door as well.

Thankfully today was a day in which she hit every green light on the way to the hospital. She was ten minutes early for her shift but she didn't mind. Once she clocked in she walked down to the ambulance bay. She ran a loving hand over the ambulance she practically called her own and gently traced the three digit vehicle identification number. _Good old_ _ **117**_.

Her coworker Roger greeted her as he scribbled something down on a clipboard. They had to do routine inspections of the ambulance vehicles often to ensure they were up to par and that they were restocked and equipped for the first emergency of the day.

"Good morning, June! I'm glad to see you made it!" Roger beamed with pure joy.

"Good morning, Roger. How is everything going?"

"We are all set and ready to roll! Just so you know June, I never would have forgiven you if you made me ride with Peterson for the next three days," he grimaced in disgust at the thought.

He was a young man in his early twenties and was happy to be partnered up with June due to her seasoned experience and bright personality. She was one of the best and most compassionate paramedics he'd ever known during his six month tour of duty at Jasper County Hospital. There were three other paramedics that he'd been paired up with before and he despised them. Peterson was extremely arrogant and cocky. He took all the credit and glory for every successful rescue operation and was well known as the hospital's greatest braggart. Then there was Lidia. She was completely cynical, rude, and sometimes cold. She was a bundle of joy to talk with… Last but not least, there was Johns. He was the type of paramedic that was in it just for the money and wasn't as caring about saving lives as he should be. It was sad, really. He had a good track record but over time he'd become blinded by greed. Although he'd saved more lives than June within the past two months, he received the most complaints regarding the treatment he'd given the patients under his watch.

June laughed and gave Roger a pat on the back. Her old partner Jonathan retired at the age of sixty. Ms. Darby noticed Roger's potential from the beginning and as a seasoned paramedic, she now had the seniority to choose her next partner. After all, a rescue crew had to operate at optimal capacity and the only way that could happen was if the two of them meshed well together on their missions. She and Roger already completed five successful rescues together as a team and June Darby knew he was the perfect candidate. They were already forming a fast friendship.

"Don't worry. I'm not _that_ heartless. Since Jonathan retired, I've recently requested that you remain my partner."

"Really?" Roger perked up considerably. His hope was rekindled. He'd been rotated around more times than he could count since he first arrived. The young man was more than happy to put all of that behind him now.

"Do you remember our EMT oath?" June Darby smiled at him as she signed off on the clipboard he handed her. She had to keep the rookie on his toes.

Roger stared at her as if she were kidding.

"Of course I do. I mean, I made that pledge when I finished training six months ago."

"Yes, but do you know it word for word?" June gave him a quizzical eye with a small smile. While she was chief EMT on her ambulance, she strove to ensure that Roger knew it word for word. It would better him as a Paramedic and teach him the true values of why they did what they did on a regular basis.

"Consider this as a pop quiz. Why don't we recite it, together?"

"Umm, ok." Roger nodded and furrowed his brow in thought.

" _As an EMS practitioner, I solemnly pledge myself to the following code of professional ethics: to conserve life, alleviate suffering, promote health, do no harm, and encourage the quality and equal availability of emergency medical care. To provide services based on human need, with compassion and respect for human dignity, unrestricted by consideration of nationality, race, creed, color, or status; to not judge the merits of the patient's request for service, nor allow the patient's socioeconomic status to influence our demeanor_ _or the care that we provide_ …" Roger recited. He stopped and looked at June with a small smile.

"That was it, right? Word for word?"

"So far. There is more. Don't you remember?"

"Uhh…not really…the rest didn't seem as important…" Roger confessed as he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. June finished the oath.

" _To not use professional knowledge and skills in any enterprise detrimental to the public well-being. As a citizen, to understand and uphold the law and perform the duties of citizenship; as a professional, to work with concerned citizens and other health care professionals in promoting a high standard of emergency medical care to all people. To maintain professional competence, striving always for clinical excellence in the delivery of patient care. To assume_ _responsibility in upholding_ —" June was abruptly cut off when they were alerted to their first call of the day.

"Unit three, we've got a car crash on Main St. and multiple injuries have been reported, one severe," the dispatcher calmly addressed them.

"Copy that dispatch, we are en-route now. Approximate ETA, five minutes."

"I want you to have that oath memorized within the next three days!" June jabbed a finger at him with a tone that brooked no argument.

June winked at Roger as she hopped inside the back cabin in the aft of the ambulance while Roger caught the keys that June tossed his way. He ran around to the drivers' side and pulled himself in. He quickly started the engine, flipped on the flashing lights, sounded the emergency sirens and floored it.

They sped through the town and slowed down once they reached an intersection where the light was red and cars were stopped in front of them. The opposite lane was clear so Roger maneuvered the Ambulance over and carefully drove through the middle of the intersection while honking to alert oncoming traffic to get the hell out of the way! They turned left once they made it safely through. Then they flew past five blocks and came to another intersection. They finally reached their intended destination.

There in front of them were three cars, two of them mangled. One of the cars was an older brown Cadillac and had crashed into a street lamp. Right next to it, a red fire hydrant had burst and sent water spewing heavenward. Two other cars, one a blue Ford focus and the other a yellow Chevy Impala, were smashed together in the middle of the intersection. Policemen were already onsite and blocked off the accident area while directing remaining traffic.

Roger rolled to a stop in-between the three vehicles. The owner of the brown Cadillac was sitting on the curb, holding a cloth to his forehead where blood was running from a wound and down his face. He looked dazed and confused. It was possible the man was a drunk driver. Roger and June leaped out of the ambulance together and split up. Roger immediately went to the hurt man on the curb and tended to his wounds. June jogged up to the police standing near the two totaled cars with her first responder medical kit. One of the policemen was in the process of giving CPR to an unconscious child on the ground while two other cops held back the distraught parents that were attempting to reach the little girl. The parents themselves had sustained minor wounds, although one of them had a small concussion. Roger soon rejoined June and took the parents into his care. He treated the father of the little girl who had the concussion. The father had been the one driving and his airbag was delayed in deploying. The mother only had minor scrapes, cuts, and bruises. They were lucky.

June took over the care of the little girl that looked to be no more than five-years-old and moved the policemen that had been giving the girl CPR aside. The young child had a cracked rib and a broken leg. Those injuries would be cared for in due time. Right now her primary task was to stabilize the patient. June checked the girl for a pulse and to see if she was breathing. She wasn't.

"ROGER! I need you over here, NOW!"

Roger ran to her side as the policemen stood with the girl's parents. The mother was sobbing her heart out and looked like she was shattering into a million pieces. The father wore a worried frown. Tears leaked down his face as he held his wife against him as a blanket was draped over their shoulders by one of the badged officials.

"I need you to supply oxygen to this girl but we need to first get her heart started."

June pulled out a portable defibrillator designed specifically for children and rubbed the shock pads together and awaited the first charge. Roger gently pushed a breathing mask over the girl's face and pumped life-giving oxygen into her starved lungs in-between the defibrillator recharge rate.

"CLEAR!" June shouted a warning for Roger to remove the oxygen mask and shocked the girl with the paddles. No response.

"I'm going to try this again!" June waited for the next charge. She felt the twisted black tendril that was fear and despair slowly consume her as the adrenaline rushing feeling of urgency coursed through her veins.

"CLEAR!" Again there was no change.

"Come on baby…you can make it," June whispered as she set the shock pads in place for a third time.

"CLEAR!"

She prayed with all her might that this girl would be saved and would not be added to the casualty list June had seen during her time as an EMT. It broke her heart every time she witnessed a child die. Especially if it was a child under her care.

After the third shock, she got a pulse although it was weak. Within thirty seconds the girl gasped awake.

"Thank God… Now we need to get her to the hospital ASAP."

The little girl began to cry once she fully recovered her senses.

"I hurt…" she whimpered as tears streamed down her face.

"It's okay sweetie. A doctor will fix you up soon. My name is June, what's yours?"

"Sammie."

"Alright Sammie. We're going to take care of you. Your mommy and daddy will sit next to you on the way to the hospital."

June Darby gingerly and lovingly picked up Sammie and carried her to their awaiting ambulance. She strapped the little girl down on a stretcher and immediately set to work while Roger began to drive away from the accident scene just as a second ambulance arrived to the crash site and completed what Roger and June had started by treating the occupants of the Ford focus. Sammie's parents accompanied June in the back and sat against the wall on the bench and also strapped themselves in with the belt buckled harnesses.

June Darby hooked up the child to an oxygen filter, put a child sized pressure cuff on her arm, and a heart rate monitor clip on her index finger. June splinted Sammie's broken leg and whispered soothing words to the distraught girl as she poked and prodded her injuries. It didn't help any that the ambulance occasionally bounced from the uneven road. The mother of the daughter held the child's hand and spoke comforting words of encouragement for the full duration of the bumpy ride. June pulled out an electronic signature pad and asked the parents general questions regarding the child's health conditions and family history, and then had them sign a few electronic forms. They reached the hospital in no time and within seconds, the two paramedics rolled the girl into the ER into a triage room. The two paramedics sighed with relief when the hospital staff began to oversee Sammie's care. They walked by a nurses' station and were stopped with words of praise.

"I think you both scored a new record," a fellow employee complimented. "It only took you guys to perform this rescue in less than seventeen minutes. I heard three cars were involved with multiple injuries and with one life threatening."

"There were a few minor wounds on most of them. The most injured one was little Sammie over there in room 202."

"Aww, poor kid. I hope she makes it."

June Darby nodded with a smile.

"She will definitely make it. Thanks for your concern…uhh, Adam is it?"

"Actually it's Andrew."

"Oh, sorry," June smiled sheepishly.

"Think nothing of it."

"Hey you two, another emergency call came in! Dispatch is sending you both to a small house fire down on 7th street. You better book it or else Peterson's crew will beat you to the punch!" their head EMT chief informed them through mild static on their walkie-talkies.

"We're on our way!" Roger responded.

"Sorry but duty calls." June half smiled at Andrew.

"No problem! Maybe I'll catch you later."

"You can bet on it." June nodded before she turned around to leave.

June Darby and Roger made a hasty exit through the emergency room and out to their awaiting ambulance. One of the clean-up crews had prepped their emergency vehicle for the next mission while they were in the hospital seeing to Sammie's ER stay.

"Seventeen minutes for the last one, huh? Let's see if we can beat our new score!" Roger smiled with eager anticipation.

"Remember we are here to save lives. It's pointless to spend time and energy on meaningless competition," June gently scolded as if dealing with a child.

"I know. It would be nice though wouldn't it…to beat Peterson to the punch?"

June nodded with a smirk and a twinkle in her eyes.

"It sure would. Peddle to the metal! Time's wasting. We have lives to save."

"Yes, Ma'am!" Roger grinned as he sped out of the hospital ER docking bay.

While they sped across town June grabbed a hold of a support railing in the rear of the vehicle and cursed softly when she was unable to catch a falling object which was none other than her electronic signature pad…

As she picked it up she caught sight of another ambulance speeding past them going the other way. That struck her as odd. Why weren't they responding to the current emergency? That's when she noticed it… the three digit number just above the other ambulance's bumper.

 **117**

 _What the hell?_

That was their own ambulance number! How could there be a perfectly identical vehicle to their own?!

June snapped back to reality once their ambulance rolled to a stop. She jumped out of the back once they reached the site of the house fire where fire-fighters were already battling the flames with their hoses. She would have to solve the mystery later. She joined Roger and the two EMT professionals did what they were destined to do…

…They saved lives.

TO BE CONTINUED!

Author's Note: Sorry that this may have seemed a bit boring. It was the introduction to get the story rolling but I promise you that it will get far more interesting from here! And I actually picked the number 117 because I'm also a Halo fan and love Master chief lol. Thanks for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: Wow! I am amazed that so many people have already taken an interest in this story! Thanks for adding me to alerts and favorites! :D

As a side note, I will be writing based off of a few Transformer Prime episodes but some of it will be different due to the fact that this is indeed a parallel universe they are living in. So Jack may have a few characteristics and mannerisms, personality, etc that we have never seen in the actual show. Also, alternate Ratchet for the sake of this story did the opposite of what the original Ratchet did in the Prime universe: he learned as much as he could about human science and medicine! I'm going to do my best though that the majority of the characters retain their original personas! I don't want to be too OC. Although I'm still debating if the bots holoforms are going to be solid or not. Please give me your opinion and let me know what you think of that idea!

Disclaimer: I do not own "Quick-clot".

 **Chapter 2**

Jack Darby released a heavy sigh as he trudged out of the K.O. drive-in restaurant. During his shift while he was taking customer orders at the drive through counter, his arch-nemesis and school known bully Vince, decided to pay him a visit. Vince ordered what he wanted and being the jerk that he was, made fun of Jack. Usually Jack would just ignore the jock but giving Vince the silent treatment only seemed to provoke the guy. Jack _almost_ regretted mouthing off to the bully but he'd had a long, hard day as it was and didn't need Vince to make it any worse.

Well he did.

Vince grabbed the bags of food Jack placed on the counter and sped away in his car before he even paid for it! His manager was not happy with him. Because of what happened, Jack was going to receive a slight reduction in his next pay check to make up for the lost profit. Jack learned his lesson well though. He made sure from then on to ensure that every customer PAID for their food before setting it anywhere near them.

He opened his cell phone when his mom called to tell him that she unfortunately had to pull a double shift that night because one of the other EMT's called in sick.

"It's, okay mom. I'll be fine. Yeah, I'll just order a pizza. Have a good night, love you," Jack smiled when his mother wished him the same.

He put his cell phone in his pocket and walked towards the bike rack where his bike was locked up. He entered the correct combination on the lock and stuffed it in his backpack. Now he had to go home and put his bike in the garage. He built his bicycle from scratch and modified it. There was a small gas motor that powered his bike but he rarely used it. That too, he built with his own bare hands. The teen nodded minutely with a small smile in the general direction of a familiar blue motorcycle that was parked nearby and then began to pedal down the street. His house was about four blocks away. The motorcycle followed discreetly at a distance with a holoform as a rider.

It really wasn't long ago that he met Arcee and the other Autobots and learned of their secret war with the Decepticons. Optimus Prime ordered Arcee to be his guardian but Jack knew his mother would have a coronary if she discovered that he had ridden on a motorcycle once…a vehicle he was forbidden to ride. His mother was extremely overprotective but Jack could understand. His mother was a paramedic and knew first-hand the risks and dangers involved with operating one.

The motor powered bicycle Jack built himself was the only exception. It had a top speed of twenty-five miles an hour…well, thirty if he _really_ pushed it. His mom wouldn't allow him to go any faster than that. Not until he was eighteen. Jack only used the small little engine if he was running late for school or work. Otherwise he just pedaled the old fashioned way.

There was a reason why Jack did not often ride with Arcee. Well two actually… Firstly, he for some reason found it extremely strange to ride on top of a living, alien being. It kind of creeped him out. If he was a highly intelligent robotic alien like Arcee…would he want someone riding on him? Yeah, no. That wasn't happening.

Secondly, it was kind of embarrassing to admit…but he had a phobia of falling off of fast moving objects that he couldn't control. He'd had that fear since he was a kid after his abusive father forced him to ride a roller coaster. Thankfully he and his mother were relocated from their hometown in Arizona to Jasper Nevada after going through a clinic for battered women and children. He and his mother hadn't seen or heard word of the man since then, which suited them just fine.

So thanks to the bad experience he had as a child, Jack was terrified of falling off of Arcee even though his guardian promised him that he wouldn't. She even offered to give Jack full control of her vehicular form with the hopes it would help him overcome his phobia. Jack thanked her for the offer but the thought of controlling another living being freaked him out.

The first and only time he had ridden with Arcee was the day he first met her when the vehicons were chasing them. Since that day, his phobia of falling off of fast moving objects merely tripled. That too hadn't been a good experience and the memory still haunted him. Arcee had been kind and told him that they could drive slower but Jack still felt weird about sitting on her…

Plus, he didn't want to betray his mother's trust by disobeying her behind her back. It made him feel guilty. What if she found out? His mom would kill him!

So Jack made a compromise with the Autobots. Arcee could watch him from a distance and only interfere with his day-to-day life in public, if his life was actually threatened. The only other time he could ever really have direct contact with his guardian was when his mom had to work double shifts as she was right now. That was when he made it a habit to visit the Autobots at their hidden base.

After Jack put his bike in the garage, he made sure to finish his homework and then walked out to where Arcee was patiently waiting for him on the side of the curb. Arcee rolled herself inside the garage and Jack followed. The teen closed it so that they could converse in private and away from prying eyes.

"Hey Arcee. Please don't take offense at this… but I think I'm just going to take another ground-bridge today. I'm sorry."

"I understand Jack. There's no need to apologize."

::Ratchet, we need a bridge!:: Arcee contacted her comrade via comlink.

The Autobot medic acknowledged their request and within seconds, a glowing green portal opened up behind them.

"Ladies first," Jack gestured with a playful smirk.

"How kind of you Jack. You're a true gentleman," Arcee teased.

They both entered the portal together and emerged on the other side. The large interior of the Autobot base loomed above and around them. The enormity of it all was quite awe inspiring.

Now to see what everyone at the base was up too…

Ratchet was trying to fix a mangled tool of some sort that Bulkhead accidentally broke, much to the medic's frustration. Optimus was speaking with agent Fowler, about what, Jack didn't know. Bumblebee was watching Raf and Miko play their current video game and Bulkhead was out on patrol.

Optimus summoned Arcee from where he was standing near one of the monitors. Arcee was ordered to relieve Bulkhead and take over his patrol duty a few minutes later.

"Catch you later Jack!"

"Bye Arcee! Be careful!"

The slender femme smiled and then disappeared through a ground-bridge portal seconds later.

"Hey Jack!" Miko and Raf greeted him once they found time to pause their game.

"Want to play with us?"

"Uhh…I can't right now. Maybe next time," Jack smiled apologetically.

Miko and Raf looked at each other and shrugged before resuming their game. They never questioned or bothered Jack when he politely declined spending time with them since for some reason it always seemed like the elder teen always had something else on his mind. They figured Jack was just the shy type and gave him space. Once Jack felt comfortable he was more than welcome to join them.

Jack walked over out of sheer curiosity to see what Ratchet was working on. The teen knew he was too small to actually fix an Autobot sized tool but when it came to mechanics, he wanted to learn everything he possibly could. Jack ran up three flights of stairs and rested his arms on a railing after he made it to the upper floor. He wanted to be more eye-level with Ratchet.

It took a while for Ratchet to warm up to the humans but he finally reached the point where he could tolerate them. As stern as the Autobot medic could be, he didn't mind showing Jack a thing or two. They both shared a love for the same thing: fixing things.

"So, what are you working on today?" Jack questioned from where he was standing on a platform above the medic's usual workstation.

"Well I've managed to repair the worst of the damage on this welder but with a few more adjustments it should be working again. I was originally using the welder to create a holoform interface before Bulkhead managed to break it," Ratchet responded without looking up at the boy.

Jack remained quiet and casually watched as Ratchet finished his project. When the medic completed his task, he tested the welder out on a piece of scrap metal and once satisfied, he turned his full attention on Jack.

The old bot would never admit it to anyone but he'd grown rather fond of the eldest human child over the course of time. The boy had talent. While at times Ratchet appeared or sounded gruff or harsh, he had one of the softest sparks of all.

"What is this holoform interface? And what does it do?" Jack questioned with keen interest.

"Our holoforms are projected from out spark energy. You've already seen Arcee's. I'm hoping that the holoform interface device will allow our holoforms to actually become solid. It's nearly complete and I just need to field test it, which I will do later."

Ratchet looked Jack directly in the eye and could tell there was something on the boy's mind.

"I didn't expect to see you here today. I'm rather surprised you aren't spending time with Raf and Miko. Is something troubling you Jack?"

"Do you think Arcee hates me?"

"Why on Earth would Arcee hate you?"

"I never travel with her…not the way the others do with their guardians. I don't know Ratchet…I'm just…different I guess," Jack looked down at the floor.

"Arcee doesn't hate you. It's quite the opposite actually. She rather admires you."

"How can she admire me? It seems that there are a lot of days I just push her away…I am getting to know her a little better and I'm glad she's my guardian, it's just…hard to explain. Does she even _like_ being my guardian?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact she does. She admires you because of your considerate nature. Personally I wish there were more humans like you…when I first came to Earth the thought of a human touching me seemed absolutely revolting."

"Really?" Jack raised a quizzical brow.

"Yes…and Arcee knows you care about her Jack. She's been watching you for a while now and understands the challenges you face."

Jack stared at the floor feeling awkward and felt his cheeks burning. It still embarrassed him whenever one of the bots brought up the topic of his unusual phobia. Or at least it was unusual in the eyes of Raf and Miko. Those two were thrill seekers…well actually Miko was…but they both loved driving fast. It took Jack two months before he had the courage to actually ride inside one of the bots. He kept asking the same questions over and over as they drove. Questions like: _"I'm not hurting you am I? Does this make you uncomfortable? Am I allowed to touch that? Do I need to take my shoes off when I ride with you so I don't get you dirty?"_

The first bot he drove inside of was Bulkhead. The wrecker laughed his aft off when Jack asked that last question. As Miko's guardian, getting dirty was part of the job and frankly, he was used to it at this point and honestly didn't care. That still didn't make Jack feel any better.

Jack was getting used to driving with the other bots and although it still weirded him out, he felt more comfortable sitting inside a car form than riding on a motorcycle. Arcee was never jealous and never held a grudge against Jack whenever he chose to drive with one of the others rather than with her. For that, Jack was thankful.

"I'm glad she doesn't hate me then," Jack sighed with relief while giving Ratchet a small smile.

"Jack, may I speak with you for a moment," Optimus Prime's serene, baritone voice rumbled gently as he approached the small human.

"Uh, sure Optimus. What's up?"

"Will you accompany me on an errand? A human presence is required."

"Sure Optimus…but why not have Agent Fowler go with you?"

"Agent Fowler has been called away on a government assignment. You are the second best alternative."

"I don't mind going…" Jack relented as he carefully climbed into Optimus's hand. He was very curious as to what this 'errand' was going to entail. This was going to be the first time he'd ever ridden with Prime.

The Autobot leader gently set Jack down on the floor and then transformed into truck mode. He opened the passenger side door for the boy in a silent invitation to get in. Jack got in feeling incredibly small and insignificant next to Optimus's sheer size. He did feel honored though that he had been chosen to go with him however.

"Optimus, with your permission I would like to field test my latest invention," Ratchet requested as he held up the device he just completed.

"Permission granted."

Ratchet was eager to see if it worked. He planned to test it while he was in the base and if it operated smoothly without a hitch, he thought about field testing it in the town of Jasper later that evening.

Jack wished he could stay behind with Ratchet to admire his handiwork but knew that Optimus needed him the most right now. Maybe Ratchet would show it to him once he got back.

Prime began to drive out of the base and Jack remained silent for a few minutes until he finally asked the question that had been nagging at him.

"So Optimus…what is this errand exactly?"

"Ratchet informed me that your human sustenance supply has run critically low."

Jack's eyebrows shot up into his hair line.

"You mean to say that the fridge at the base is empty?"

"For the most part."

"Oh."

Jack resisted the urge to fidget. He wasn't sure what Optimus thought or how he felt about having him inside his cabin. Optimus must have sensed his insecurity because he broke the ice.

"Would you like to listen to music? You may operate my radio if you wish."

Jack was surprised that Optimus would grant him that leisure.

"Okay Optimus, but only if you don't mind…"

Jack reached for the radio dial but once his fingers touched it he pulled his hand back with a sharp intake of air as if a viper were about to bite him.

"Ah, you know Optimus…I'd really like to know what _you_ like to listen to."

The last thing Jack wanted to do was choose music that would annoy Prime. He really didn't know the leader of the Autobots as well as he would like since the big bot was always busy and rarely spent time with the humans.

If Optimus had been in bipedal form at that moment he would have smiled warmly at the boy. The human child had a good heart. He cared greatly for those around him and in the short time he'd gotten to know Jack, he came to learn that the boy was far from selfish.

"I like many Earth genres. I have come to find that classical is the most pleasing to my audio receptors. I have grown to enjoy listening to what you humans call 'classic rock' as well."

Optimus liked classic rock? That surprised Jack immensely. Now that he knew what Optimus liked he figured he could find a decent radio station that they could both enjoy together. Jack tuned in on a classic rock station and finally relaxed. He looked out the window and saw the green billboard sign welcoming them to Jasper. They were about to enter a populated area that consisted of roughly 3,174 citizens.

Jack began to ask Optimus a question but screamed when he turned to see a strange man sitting in Optimus's driver's seat.

"AHHH! Who are you?!"

"Do not be alarmed Jack Darby! This is my holoform." Optimus stated as he turned to give Jack a reassuring smile. The holoform looked like a man in his late forties. The holoform wore a blue baseball cap, red flannel shirt, blue jeans, and cowboy boots. His eyes were a brilliant blue.

Jack looked suspiciously at him.

"How come your holoform looks more human than Arcee's?"

"Our sparks are what generate holoforms. The older we get, the more experienced we become in generating them."

"Oh, okay," Jack breathed a sigh of relief as his pounding heart finally slowed as the adrenaline drained out of his body.

The semi pulled into a parking space at a local grocery store.

"Why do you need me though Optimus?" Jack questioned as he unfastened his seatbelt.

"My holoform is incapable of holding solid objects. I am merely as you humans would say, 'just for show'," Optimus stated serenely.

"What do you want me to get at the store?"

"Whatever it is that you, Miko, and Raf require for sustenance. Here is a method of payment courtesy of Agent Fowler."

Optimus's glove compartment opened and a silver credit card appeared. Jack grabbed it and stuffed it in his pocket.

"Alright Optimus, I'll only be a few minutes," Jack promised. He hopped out of the Autobot leader's vehicle form and walked casually into the grocery store. He selected snacks that he knew Raf and Miko loved, mainly junk food like potato chips and the like but was also sure to buy a few items that he knew Ratchet wouldn't protest to. Like canned fruits and those small cracker, cheese, and meat trays.

As he was turning a corner to walk into the next aisle to head for the checkout line, he bumped into someone and dropped one of the items he was holding. Jack reached down and picked it up and began to utter a quick apology. When he stood back up, his eyes widened and the apology died on his lips. All of the color drained out of his face and he took a few steps back when he saw who it was.

"Hello Jack."

Jack could only stare in pure disbelief. With fear slowly consuming him, he managed to find his voice long enough to whisper two words…

"…Hi dad."

* * *

June Darby frantically worked to keep a wounded patient stabilized within her ambulance's interior as Roger sped through town with the sirens and lights flashing. The person she was trying to save was a young teenager who had been shot in the chest by a rival gang member. She applied pressure as she used a quick clot solution to stop the bleeding. Every time they hit a pothole in the road however, the wound would get jarred and start bleeding again.

June's patience was wearing thin. She'd had a long, hard day filled with many complications. She yelled at Roger in frustration as she continued working on the young shooting victim.

"Roger! I need you to hold the ambulance steady!"

She was nearing the end of her double shift. It was nearly 10 p.m. She was so tired she felt ready to collapse but knew she couldn't stop, not now. Not when innocent lives depended on her. June refused to accept defeat and pushed the injured victims in her care to hold on…to cling to life. To never give up and to never give in. She rejoiced whenever one of her dying patients stubbornly defied a bitter demise and actually pulled through. Too often life was taken for granted. She used to be one of those people until she became a paramedic. Then everything changed…

"We're pulling into the docking bay now June!" Roger shouted back at her as he rolled to a stop in the docking bay.

The two rushed to get the injured teen into the emergency room. One they made it in, June was livid to learn that every triage room was full. There were no rooms available for her gravely wounded patient.

No! This was unacceptable!

"Stay with him, Roger," June shot her partner a grave look. Roger continued to keep an eye on the teenage boy's vital signs and admired June's handiwork. She managed to stop the bleeding and bandaged up the wound. It was only patch work though. This boy needed a real doctor.

June pushed her way through the busy ER and found the staff leader who was directing traffic and shouting orders to some of the nurses who scrambled to carry out his orders. It was pure chaos!

The young woman confronted the man about their problem.

"Excuse me, I'm with rescue team 117 and we have a shooting victim who needs immediate care."

The man signed off on a clipboard and closed the curtain of a patient's room and glanced at her, giving her an annoyed look.

"I don't know if you've noticed Ms. Darby, but we are short-staffed today and all available rooms are filled with patients who are all suffering from moderate to severe injuries as well."

"Surely you can make room for one more! My patient is a high priority case!"

"We are doing the best we can, given our current circumstances. There's nothing I can do, I'm sorry."

"This boy needs a doctor! He needs one right now!"

"I'm sorry but he will have to wait like all the others," the man tried to walk around the determined paramedic but June continued to block his path.

She wasn't going to take 'no' for an answer.

"If this child dies, then his blood is on _your_ hands. Mark my words, it's a lawsuit waiting to happen," June growled threateningly.

The busy floor leader looked haggard and worn and gave her an impatient look. He glanced at the clipboard and flipped through a couple of pages and then gave June a glimmer of hope.

"It looks like we will have an open room in about ten minutes. Room 207. I can't do any better than that. Now if you will excuse me…" the man pushed past June in an apparent rush.

"JUNE! I NEED YOU OVER HERE!" Roger screamed for her above the noisy din.

June jogged over, flexibly weaving her way through the hustle and bustle of emergency medical staff. When she reached Roger her heart dropped into her stomach. The boy was flat-lining. He'd lost too much blood.

"Shit."

June looked desperately around the room, looking as though she were ready to cry. She couldn't bear the thought that all their efforts had been in vain. This young man deserved to live! If only Jasper County Hospital were bigger…

Why the hell did they have to be so short staffed tonight?!

All of the doctors were tending to other patients. There was no one left but June wasn't going to give up. She couldn't! Her young ward needed emergency care RIGHT NOW. As an EMT there was only so much that she could do. She wasn't a surgeon. She could only stabilize and mildly treat the wounded and the sick so that a real doctor could actually take care of them. The wounded teen on her gurney had mere minutes left to live if he continued to flat-line.

June finally lost it. She screamed and pleaded as tears finally began to leak out of her eyes, professionalism be damned.

"PLEASE! Someone! ANYONE! HELP US! Or this boy is going to die!"

Suddenly and without any warning a doctor appeared beside them wearing a white lab coat and a stethoscope around his neck. He smiled at them warmly with bright blue eyes.

"The boy is going to be fine. I promise. He's in good hands," the mystery doctor told them as he hooked up a bag of life saving fluid. He began a blood transfusion on the injured teen and miraculously restarted his heart. June stepped back and watched wide-eyed as the doctor quickly and quite impressively, saved the boy's life. She'd never seen a doctor as skilled as him before. He must be new to the hospital…

June noticed his name displayed on a silver name badge pinned to the front of his coat pocket.

 _Dr. Ray Atchlet_

Soon room 207 opened up and the teenager was FINALLY admitted there. June turned to thank Dr. Ray but he had vanished as quickly as he had come.

Now that her shift was finally over she released a deep breath, feeling the most relief she'd ever felt in her entire life as she clocked out. Roger was gracious and walked with her out to her car. She wished him good night and leaned back in the driver's seat and took a moment to relax and settle her nerves. Maybe a nice hot cup of chamomile tea would help once she got home.

June couldn't stop thinking about Dr. Ray. She hoped she would have the chance to meet him again if only to thank him.

Once she got home she was stunned to see that Jack was still awake. That's not what was so surprising. What troubled her, was the expression on her son's face. June set her car keys on the counter and approached her son where he was sitting pale as a ghost at the dinner table.

"Jack, sweet-heart…what's the matter?"

Jack looked up at her from where he was sitting and whispered something that June could barely decipher. What he said sent a chill down her spine.

"He's back, mom. Dad's back…"

* * *

TO BE CONTINUED!

Author's Note: There will be more information concerning the Darby family's past. I know I jumped from Jack's time with Optimus to later at night with June but I plan to rewind time and write what exactly happened after Jack's encounter with his father during next chapter. Thanks for reading and reviewing guys! :D


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Note: Wow! Thanks so much you guys for adding this story to alerts and for reviewing! :D And I got a few votes that the holoforms should be solid like actual people so they shall be, thanks for your opinions!

 **WARNING!** —This chapter contains abuse. Only verbal, emotional, and physical. The topic might be difficult for some people to read so I thought I would warn you. There is also mild swearing. Read at your own discretion **.**

(As a side note I guess you can pronounce the name Demetri two ways: (Dem-me-tree) or (Duh-me-tree) Looking at the word "Duh" made me think of Miko's "Doi" XD That always made me laugh whenever she said that in the show. Now without further ado, I give you chapter 3!

* * *

 **Chapter 3**

"Tell me Jack. Tell me what happened," June Darby said calmly as she moved to take a seat across from him at the dining room table. She placed her hands on top of his. As a mother, she learned a long time ago that when it came to her son's well-being, she had to mask her own internal conflict. She had to remain strong for him. It was a challenge sometimes, but after working as a paramedic for so many years, it became rather easy to appear fearless.

Inside though, June was screaming.

She divorced Mr. Darby eight years ago. She took her son and fled from the domestic abuse he heaped upon them two years before the divorce was finalized. Thanks to government assistance in the state of Arizona, she was able to get her paramedic job transferred to Jasper Nevada, a place that June figured her ex-husband would never go.

Now that Demetri Darby found them again, she would probably have to get a restraining order. That might be hard to come by since it had been eight years since the last one which was long expired by now and to get a restraining order, the cruel hearted man would have to harm or attempt to harm either Jack or herself.

"Sweet-heart…I need to know what happened." June rubbed Jack's hands in soft reassurance.

"Okay mom…I'll tell you…" Jack began knowing he would have to leave some classified details out.

"Go on," his mother encouraged.

"He was there...when I went to the store with one of my friends…"

* * *

 _ **-Six Hours Earlier-**_

Jack could only stare at the man he once called father in pure disbelief. He slowly backed away from Demetri, his every sense screaming at him to flee.

"Hello Jack."

"…Hi dad," Jack replied in a near whisper with wide eyes.

"It took me a long time to find you."

"Y-you were looking for me? Why?"

"It didn't seem very fair that I never got to say good-bye to you, son."

Jack swallowed a thick lump in his throat and felt his mouth going dry.

"How did you recognize me?"

"That's not important right now…what's important is that we can be a family again," the man edged a little closer forcing Jack to take another two steps back.

"What do you want?" Jack trusted the man as far as he could throw him.

"I want to spend some quality time with you. Why don't we go for a little drive?" his ex-father flashed him a smile. It wasn't warm or true. It was fake. Jack saw right through it. He knew the man wasn't sincere. Jack remembered what the man had done to him as a child. The teen never forgave him and he never forgot…

 _-Flashback-_

 _A six-year-old Jack was outside with a neighborhood friend. They were innocently playing catch with a baseball. They were having lots of fun…until another kid who was a couple years older than them wanted to join in. The elder boy overthrew the ball and accidentally shattered one of the windows of the Darby residence. The guilty kid was already half-way down the block before Jack could blink._

 _Jack felt ice cold fear flowing through his veins when his father walked out on the porch and screamed for him to come inside. His friend apologized and ran back home, leaving Jack to his doomed fate. That day his mother June was at work and his dad had the day off._

" _Stop dragging your sorry ass and get the hell inside!" his father shouted at him._

 _Jack ran and knew that to disobey the man would result in a far worse punishment than the one he was about to receive. Jack learned at an early age to take the blame for anything that went wrong, even if it wasn't his fault._

" _Look at what you've done!" Demetri yelled in Jack's face._

 _The little boy's breathing quickened as both dread and the urge to cry overwhelmed his young senses. Jack looked down at the floor in shame._

 _Demetri roughly caught a hold of Jack's chin and forced him to look at the broken window._

" _See that?! Do you have ANY idea how much it's going to cost to replace that, you STUPID, lousy brat?!"_

" _I'm sorry!" Jack cried as he rubbed his sweaty palms on the side of his pants._

" _SORRY isn't going to FIX it!" Jack's father screamed at him as he pulled out a leather belt._

 _Little Jack's eyes widened and he cried._

" _NO DADDY! Please don't hit me! I'M SORRY!"_

" _Well now you get to pay the price for being sorry!" Demetri began to mercilessly beat the child._

 _Jack screamed and cried, begging his abusive father to stop but the wicked man wouldn't. The child fell to the floor and curled up into a ball and continued to suffer as his innocent, heart-breaking pleas fell on deaf ears._

 _June miraculously came home early and witnessed what was taking place and yelled at Demetri to stop. The man wouldn't listen. June resorted to violence herself in a desperate attempt to protect her only child but her husband turned his wrath on her. He beat her with his fists and choked June in front of Jack's eyes._

" _NO! STOP IT! LEAVE MAMA ALONE!" the injured boy screamed with tears running down his face._

 _The man for once actually listened and threw June to the ground where she lay gasping for breath._

" _Yeah I guess I'll stop…but only because you two are a pathetic waste of my time," the man sneered as he looked down on them with disgust._

 _The young boy, now covered in red welts and multi-colored bruises crawled painfully over to where his mother lay in a sobbing heap. She hugged him close and whispered in his ear._

" _It's going to be okay, sweetie. I love you."_

" _Jack, get me a beer from the fridge and don't you dare make me wait! I've had enough of your shit today," Demetri ordered from where he was reclining on the couch watching football._

 _June nodded at Jack with a brave smile and encouraged him to do as he was told as she opened the freezer and pulled out an ice pack to put on what was soon going to be her black eye._

 _Jack's small hands shook as he obeyed his father and gingerly grasped one of the large beer bottles, praying he wouldn't drop it..._

 _-End Flashback-_

Jack shook his head as he stared at the man with complete distrust. He mustered up enough courage to speak his mind a few seconds later.

"I'm not going anywhere with you."

"That **wasn't** a _request_ …" Demetri's eyes narrowed as his expression grew dark.

That look sent chills down Jack's spine. It was the kind of look his father had given him in the past when he promised he would hurt him if he didn't do what he was told to do. Jack felt the last of his courage drain away. He began to feel like a scared little six-year-old again. The teen awkwardly stumbled back with the shake of his head as his father walked towards him. Jack's face paled at what Demetri said next.

"I'm not giving you a choice! You're **my** son and you are coming with me!"

Jack felt trapped as unshed tears welled in his eyes. He felt cornered and didn't know how the hell he was supposed to get out of this situation. His father hurt him in the past and probably had no qualms about hurting him now…

"Is there a problem here?" a deep, familiar sounding voice rumbled behind Jack. Jack was startled and turned to see who it was. He breathed a sigh of relief to see it was Optimus's tall, buff, and rather intimidating looking holoform. Jack laughed inside when for a moment he thought he saw fear in his father's dark brown eyes. If only the abusive jerk could see Optimus in his true form…

"Hey guy. Mind your own business! This is between _me_ and my boy here, alright?" Demetri glared at Prime.

"I'm afraid it **is** my business. Jack is with me," Optimus persisted as he put a _solid_ hand on Jack's shoulder in reassurance.

Jack's eyeballs nearly popped out of his head wondering how the hell the Autobot leader's holo was SOLID, until he caught a brief glimpse of Ratchet's ambulance form driving away out of his peripherals.

 _So Ratchet's invention DID work…Thank God…_

His timing couldn't have been more perfect. He would have to thank the Autobot medic once they returned to base.

Jack didn't know it, but when Ratchet stopped by earlier while Jack was shopping to give Optimus his very own holoform integration device, the medic immediately noticed Jack's irregular vital signs and alerted his leader to the teen's distress. As the boy's temporary guardian, Optimus needed to ensure that the child was alright so Optimus had gone into the store to investigate. That's when he met Mr. Darby…

Jack felt much better now that Optimus was standing behind him but he wasn't out of the woods yet…

"Who the hell are you?" Demetri gestured rudely with a look of contempt.

"My name is Orion Paxton and I'm Jack's guardian," Optimus replied confidently without missing a beat.

"Look, I don't care _who_ you are but Jack is MY son and I have the right to take him with me!" Demetri growled.

"By what authority do you have that right?"

"I'm his _father_. **That's** my right!" Demetri snarled while jabbing a finger at Optimus's chest.

Jack was forced to drop all of the items in his arms when without any warning, the abusive man reached out and gripped Jack's right wrist painfully and began to drag the protesting teen behind him.

"You're coming with me Jack!" the man shouted, uncaring if he was causing a scene or not.

As Demetri Darby began to walk away, the Autobot leader used his holoform to reach out and tightly grab Jack's would-be kidnapper firmly on the arm and pulled the man back with amazing strength. He then stood and blocked Mr. Darby's path with an icy glare. He straightened his posture and towered above Demetri by a little over half a foot. If Jack had to guess, he'd say that Optimus's holoform was roughly 6'4". His father Demetri on the other hand only stood at about 5'10".

Jack tried to pull his wrist out of his father's vice like grip. Any tighter and his hand would go numb from lack of circulation…

It tore at Optimus's spark to see the silent, desperate plea on Jack's face. He could see fear, torment, and pain in the child's eyes. The leader of the Autobots wanted more than anything to reach over and free Jack from his father's restraining hand but knew that provoking or touching Mr. Darby any further might cause a physical altercation which would in turn involve the police…and Optimus couldn't blow his cover. So he did something he was very good at.

 _Diplomacy._

"Release the boy," Optimus ordered firmly with a hard look that would send most people running.

"I already told you that I'm this boy's father and that he's coming with me! So NO, I won't release him!" Demetri sneered defiantly.

Jack observed the interaction between his father and Optimus with wide eyes. For a moment it looked like Optimus's holoform spaced out for a minute. When Optimus snapped back to reality a few seconds later, his entire demeanor changed.

Prime now turned icy, _wrathful_ , brilliant blue eyes on the wicked man.

 _WOAH! What just happened? Optimus's mood shifted within the span of like three seconds!_ Jack thought to himself. In the short time that the teen got to know Prime over the past few months, he realized that he'd never…not even once, seen Optimus angry before. He soon found out why.

"According to the Arizona police database you were recently released from a 10 year prison sentence for the physical assault, and attempted murder of both Jack and June Darby. You have **no** right to take this boy, he is _**staying**_ _ **with me**_ ," Optimus growled dangerously low and took a menacing step forward with clenched fists.

Optimus had actually stumbled upon that information while he was downloading everything else he could about the adult human. Prime's holoform looked like he was ready to beat the crap out of the man. This was a new, protective side to Optimus that Jack had never seen before. It would have made him laugh if the situation wasn't so serious.

To say that Optimus was angry was a huge understatement. What Optimus _**hated**_ _the most_ **,** was when caretakers (regardless of species) abused their younglings. The fact that this man had not only abused the child but had also attempted to terminate both Jack (who in Prime's optics had practically been a sparkling at the time), and his mother, was the wire that fried the motherboards circuits. Back on Cybertron during the golden age before the war, the penalty for committing such crimes had been punishable by death. Abusing and terminating sparklings in the eyes of the Autobots was UNTHINKABLE! Autobots cherished life and fought to protect and preserve it. It took a great deal of effort on his part, but Optimus finally got a handle on his raging emotions and held himself in check. _**Barely**_ **.** He couldn't stop thinking of what he wished he could do to Mr. Darby. As a Prime, he knew it was wrong to entertain such fantasies but the fact remained: Jack's father was a Decepticon in human skin…

"Yeah, what do you know…are you a cop or something?" Demetri now looked both suspicious and uncomfortable.

"All I can say at this moment, Mr. Darby, is that I have unlimited access to all law enforcement databases and have very reliable government contacts." Optimus responded smoothly.

"You're bluffing!"

"Am I? How else would I intimately know of your past crimes?"

Mr. Darby's insecurity began to grow as Optimus continued to speak.

"I know that you were arrested in the past at the age of 17 for petty theft after the store owner pressed charges against you. I know that the state recently released you from prison, not only because your incarceration expired, but because your cousin paid off your obscenely expensive parole. Here is something that not even _you_ know Mr. Darby. _Your cousin_ is now the one in prison for selling illegal substances. He was arrested this morning. Shall I continue?"

Woah! Was his dad's parole paid off with DRUG money?! _Was that even legal?!_ Jack struggled to hide a triumphant grin when he saw how uncomfortable the man was getting. It looked like Mr. Darby was beginning to sweat a little.

"Alright you nearly bought me…but shouldn't you have a badge or government ID or something? For all I know you could be some kind of hacker!"

Optimus soon turned deathly serious and stepped forward until he was only a few inches away from the man's face and continued, unabashed.

"Mr. Darby, let's cut right to the chase. The truth of the matter is, you should in all rights still be in prison. Whether I have a badge with or without me right now is irrelevant. We can do this the easy way or the hard way. It's your choice." Optimus narrowed his eyes at the man as he spoke with a dangerous edge in his voice.

 _Wow._ Jack was amazed. The leader of the Autobots sure did have a way with words.

Mr. Darby considered everything that Optimus said. The man must have decided not to take any chances because he finally released the teen and scoffed.

"Fine. Just know that this isn't over," Demetri pointed at Optimus with a glare.

Optimus gently grabbed Jack by his shoulders and held the boy protectively against him.

"And Jack…Jasper is my new home now. So I'm sure we'll both be seeing each other again _real_ soon," Demetri flashed his son a wicked smirk.

What Mr. Darby said nearly made the boy hyperventilate. Jack had apparently never experienced a panic attack before. Anxiety was common in victims of past abuse. Now Jack was forced to face the heartless demon from his childhood. The youth struggled to hide his fear as he forced himself to take slow, even breaths.

Optimus held Jack in a fatherly, one-armed embrace and patted the boy's chest gently in reassurance. He kept his other hand free should he need to use it if Jack's progenitor were to attempt anything foolish. Jack began to breathe evenly again although Optimus could still feel the boy trembling slightly as they both watched Mr. Darby leave the store.

Jack exhaled a sigh of relief and felt his tense body relax after the man was gone. He looked up at Optimus's holoform with a grateful smile.

"Thanks for the save Optimus. Ratchet's timing couldn't have been better with that holoform integration device. I don't know what I would have done without you…"

Truth be told he was still terrified and quite shaken after that encounter and wanted more than anything to leave the store and return to the safety of the Autobot base. For the first time in his life Jack felt _**eager**_ to travel within a Cybertronian...

Optimus helped the boy pick up the items that had been dropped and aided the youth in purchasing them. They walked out into the parking lot. Jack shuddered. What if his father was watching him from inside one of the parked cars out here? If he was he couldn't see any sign of him. Maybe the man already left…

He truly relaxed once he was safe and snug inside of Optimus Prime's cabin. He was extremely paranoid now though. His father's threats never left his mind. What was he and his mother going to do now that his abusive dad planned on living in Jasper? What if the creep found out where they lived?!

"Hey Optimus…you don't think he's going to try and follow us do you?"

"No Jack. I'm certain that he won't."

"Really? How do you know?"

"His method of transportation has become quite...unreliable."

" _Meaning_?" Jack questioned with a wary tone of voice while shooting Optimus's dashboard a curious stare.

His cell phone chimed at that moment alerting him to the fact that he had a text message. Actually it turned out to be a picture.

There was Demetri Darby standing next to a white pick-up truck on the side of a road screaming at the heavens in absolute fury…

"What the…" Jack squinted to get a better look and slightly enlarged the image to see what the man was so frustrated about. That's when he saw it.

"Optimus…did you have something to do with this?" Jack asked incredulously.

"Perhaps." The Prime refused to elaborate further than that, confirming Jack's innocent query.

There in the photo, all four tires on Demetri's pick-up truck were completely blown out. Yeah…the man wasn't going anywhere.

Jack couldn't hold back a smile and leaned back into his seat, feeling safer than he had in years. The duo drove in companionable silence until the sobering thought finally struck Jack like a wrecking ball.

"Oh crap…I'm going to have to tell my mom that he's back! Optimus…what if…what if my dad finds out where my mom and I live?" Jack fought back tears. "I know that you guys probably can't save us because your job is to protect us from Decepticons and not from other humans…which I can totally understand! I just…I don't know what to do…"

Optimus broke the silence and gave Jack the hope and the comfort that he desperately needed.

"While it is true that our main agenda is to protect and defend you from the Decepticons, we have sworn since the day we met you, Miko, and Rafael that we will guard you from _any_ perceivable threat. I have been sending Ratchet to watch over your mother whenever Arcee is occupied guarding you. However, since meeting Mr. Darby and learning of his volatile nature and extremely questionable interest in you… I have made the decision that I shall guard you Jack, on the days that Arcee cannot."

"What? Really?" Jack sat in shocked wonderment.

It was too good to be true… there had to be a catch though right?

"Optimus, don't you have more important things to do rather than guard duty?"

"When it comes to safeguarding the ones we care most about, they become our first and only priority."

Jack might have imagined it but he could have sworn that he heard an affectionate lilt in Prime's tone of voice…

Soon they rolled to a stop within the Autobot base and Jack hopped out. Optimus Prime transformed and stood up, stretching stiff servos and smiled down at the boy.

"Arcee will guard you tonight. Have no fear."

"Thanks Optimus," Jack smiled.

"Have a pleasant evening, Jack Darby."

"You too."

Optimus retired to his quarters to recharge. Jack was disappointed to find out that Ratchet wasn't currently at the base. No one seemed to know where he went. After the elder teen put the food items away and wished Miko and Raf good-night, Bulkhead drove him home with Arcee in hot pursuit. Arcee pulled up in front of Jack's residence and parked outside on the curb.

Jack being as paranoid as he was, locked every window and every door in his house. He grew more nervous the longer he had to wait for his mother. He thought about ordering pizza but decided against it. It would suck if the delivery driver happened to be his dad.

Finally his mother came home…

* * *

 **-Present Time-**

"…and that's pretty much what happened. If it wasn't for Raf's dad I'd be in serious trouble right now…" Jack had to fib a little since he obviously couldn't tell his mother about Optimus. Even if he told her that advanced robotic aliens from a distant planet were here on Earth living in Jasper, she'd never believe him. Luckily his mother had never met Raf's family so had no way of contacting Mr. Esquivel to thank him for allegedly saving her son's life.

June was deeply troubled. How could she keep her son safe from her ex-husband… no, _that monster_?! He was lurking out there somewhere, probably waiting for the perfect opportunity to attempt a second kidnapping, or worse! The police wouldn't be able to do a damn thing unless something terrible actually _happened_. At least when she and Jack first moved to Jasper, June made sure their home number and address remained unlisted. That gave her a small, miniscule measure of peace.

"Jack if you see that man again, call the police. In the meantime, be sure to stay in public areas."

"I know mom. Safety in numbers. Lots of witnesses if he tries anything. Don't worry about it, I'll be fine," Jack reassured her with a small smile. Jack was actually feeling a little more confident now that he knew he had Arcee AND Optimus guarding him.

"All right sweetheart. Why don't you go to sleep now, it's late," June spoke softly as she ran a loving hand through Jack's hair.

"Okay mom."

Jack hugged her and wished her good-night.

June got ready for bed. After making sure the house was locked down tight she attempted to go to sleep herself. She planned on having a security system installed in their house the following day.

She said her prayers and then slid into bed and shut off the lamp on her nightstand. June believed in guardian angels. She held on to that faith. She hoped those angels would protect her son. After about three hours of tossing and turning, June finally succumbed to her exhaustion, unaware that their guardian angel was right outside, keeping a faithful vigil over them through the long watches of the night.

TO BE CONTINUED!

* * *

Author's Note: I really hope Optimus wasn't too OC but I felt compelled to give Optimus more emotion since in the show there were many times he seemed too detached. So I know I focused a lot on Jack and Optimus in this chapter but if you read the story summary, Jack is a mechanic/inventor and ends up saving Optimus's life later on, which leads to a very PO'd Megatron who orders the hit on Jack's mom in the future, so the two have to get to know each other for the sake of this plot lol. Thanks for reading, reviewing, and adding to alerts and favorites! :D


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Note: Thanks so much for those of you who have reviewed and added my story to alerts and favorites! :D

This unfortunately will be the last chapter I can post for a little while. My family is moving to another apartment and we have until Sept 15th to pack and clean our house, so if it takes me one or two months to update this story, this is the reason. Thank you in advance for your patience! I PROMISE I will NEVER abandon this story! It will be completed!

 **Chapter 4**

Crank-crank-crank….

The clattering sound of a piece of metal dropping to the stone floor rang out a few seconds later, a testament to the fact that a task was now complete.

Jack dropped his wrench after he finished tightening shiny silver bolts on his bicycle. His old ones had finally rusted and had to be replaced. He took a few moments to admire his work and then experimentally turned one of the pedals and was satisfied to hear the soft mechanical clinking sound as the chain connecting the front sprockets to the rear sprockets on each tire, smoothly glided around the crankset. The chain and crankset were always well oiled and greased, eliminating the chance of a freak jam or misalignment.

The teenager wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand, leaving behind a small grease smear which went entirely unnoticed. He only had one job left to do now and it was a grand endeavor. He pulled a ventilator filtration mask over his face and put on a pair of safety glasses. He turned on a small machine and pulled the small hose attached to it over to the frame of his bike. He firmly gripped the pump handle and began to carefully spray a fine stream of highly concentrated paint over the frame of his bicycle. Jack was a bit of a perfectionist so he took his time and ensured that none of the paint splattered. It took him four hours to finish his project.

He opened the garage door to air it out and stood back and looked upon his work with pride. His bicycle was now painted red with small blue flames running down the length of the top tube and the main frame bar. It was a work of art…

Jack began to clean up his workstation and exhaled a content sigh. Today was a Saturday which meant he didn't have school or work. He often enjoyed tinkering with things…and truth be told…the teenage boy had been working on a couple of secret projects. One of which his mother would kill him for if she knew.

He secretly developed an alternative fuel source to replace the gas he normally used for the motor on his bike and attached a couple of miniature nitro boosters on it which would boost his speed to nearly fifty-five miles an hour. Unfortunately the boosters were a one-time use. He was the genius mastermind behind it all but he did have Ratchet help him manufacture his new fuel supply. Without the modified, Ratchet approved fuel, the boosters would in all probability blow out the entire motor. While it was true that Jack still retained his phobia of falling off of a fast moving object, the teen came to realize that when it came to riding his bicycle…that phobia was virtually non-existent. He had ridden his bike his entire life. It was practically a part of him he'd used it so much.

The only reason why Jack built the new nitro boosters in the first place was due to his heightened paranoia after running into his abusive father at the store two weeks ago. He hadn't seen or heard any rumor of the man since then. He shuddered as his father's ominous warning continually reverberated within his mind…

 _And Jack…Jasper is my new home now. So I'm sure we'll both be seeing each other again_ _ **real**_ _soon…_

The boy felt another anxiety attack coming on and shook his head trying to clear it. He took a few deep, calming breaths and remembered Optimus's promise. Jack trusted the Autobots with his life and was in no way doubting their guardian capabilities. The teen just liked to be prepared should he ever get into a dangerous situation where he needed a fast exit. Whether it be from a run in with another Decepticon or his father.

Then there was Jack's _second_ secret project…

 _ **That**_ one…the Autobots would undoubtedly order him to destroy should they discover its existence.

The reason why he knew the Autobots would force him to destroy his new weapon (designed only for self-defense against Decepticons) was because it was a danger to the younger children should Raf or Miko ever get their hands on it **and** it posed a potential threat against the bots if an enemy took possession of it. Jack promised himself that he would never allow his invention to fall into the wrong hands. If it ever came down to it, the boy swore he would destroy it if only to keep his friends safe.

There were many days it was difficult for him to acquire the necessary parts and supplies needed to construct it. Not because he couldn't afford it…but just because he constantly had an Autobot watching his every move. It was both a blessing and a curse at times.

So instead of purchasing the materials all at once, he bought one or two items every other day or so. Mixed in with a few necessities like food and TP, the Autobots were none the wiser.

His new invention was a specialized rocket-flare fired from a high velocity, hand-held pistol. It was designed to temporarily disrupt the optical sensors of a Cybertronian, temporarily blinding them. It was brighter than any other man-made flare on Earth. If Jack's calculations were correct the optical disruption would last an approximate two minutes and twelve seconds. Then again there were no certainties since he would never actually have the privilege of field-testing it…

So far, he managed to manufacture three rounds.

Jack went inside the house after closing the garage door. He walked into the kitchen and pulled out some leftover pizza from the fridge and heated it up in the microwave. It was his favorite-black olive with extra cheese and alfredo-sauce. His mom was working and was hopefully going to be back home by seven but with her line of work, there were no guarantees. June promised her son that once she had a free evening, they would have a movie night at home together. The teen glanced at the clock. It was only ten after five.

The boy walked into the living room and sat down on the couch and turned on the TV after his food was ready. He began to eat and took occasional sips of soda. He wished he could be with the Autobots today but they were indisposed at the moment dealing with the aftermath of a Decepticon attack on a military installation. The mission was so important that _all_ of the bots were called away. Optimus assured Jack that they would still monitor him via satellite until Arcee could return. Until then Jack kept every window and door locked and made sure the new security system installed in their house was turned on.

A sudden knock at the door startled him. He set his plate and soda can down next to the lamp on the table beside him and got up. Ever paranoid, the teen grabbed the baseball bat propped against the wall by the coat rack and tip-toed to the door.

He peered through the eye hole and smiled to see who it was. He punched in the code to deactivate the security alarm and welcomed his guest inside.

"Hey Arcee! I take it the mission went well?" Jack opened the door wider so that Arcee's holoform could enter his home.

"Yep. All taken care of. How are you Jack? Did you miss me?" Arcee smiled as she walked past him.

Her holoform appeared the same as it always did, with the tight-fitting, leather jumpsuit but her helmet was missing. Now Jack could see her 'human' face. She appeared to be a young woman in her mid-twenties and had black hair with bright, neon blue highlights streaking through it. Her eyes were a brilliant blue as was customary for all of the Autobot holoforms it seemed. The only one who apparently lacked a holoform, or at least rarely used one, was Bumblebee. He was still young by Cybertronian standards and was still learning how to create one by projecting his spark energy. Ratchet's holoform integration devices were not designed to create holoforms for the bots, but to only make the ones they had- solid.

The rare times Bumblebee managed to project his human looking holoform, the young scout appeared to be around sixteen-years-old give or take-a teenager with blonde hair, a boyish grin, and bright blue eyes. He would wear a black leather jacket with two golden, yellow stripes running from his shoulders down each arm, a yellow T-shirt, black jeans, and yellow tennis shoes.

Jack couldn't wait to see Bulkhead and Ratchet's holoforms. He didn't have the chance yet since school, work, and his latest inventions consumed the majority of his time. Bulkhead was usually gone from base either out on patrol or out spending time with Miko. Ratchet was either busy working in the Autobot base or guarding his mother. The day that the normally grumpy medic had helped Jack finalize the formula, he was only able to verbally instruct the teen on how to develop the new motor fuel, since at the time he'd been too recharge deprived to use his holoform to physically help him.

Jack finished his food and shut the TV off. If Arcee was using her holoform to privately talk with him inside his house, it must be important.

"So, what's up Arcee?"

"We miss you, Jack. It's been over a week since your last visit at the base. Things just aren't the same without you around…Optimus has grown worried about you."

"He doesn't need to worry. I'm fine. I have you guarding me, don't I?"

"That isn't the reason. You've become a recluse Jack…you've been locked up in your garage and within your house for far too long. Ratchet doesn't think it's healthy."

"I know," Jack replied softly while turning away from her. He went back to the couch and sat down, Arcee not far behind him. She sat beside her young charge and turned worried eyes on him.

"Something's been bothering you. Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not really…" Jack rubbed his arm while avoiding her gaze. When it came to his personal problems, he never liked to discuss them.

"Optimus wishes to see you back at the base."

"Why?"

"I don't know Jack. I'm just the messenger."

The teen was silent and seemed to be considering her words. He finally released a pent up sigh and nodded.

"Fine. When do we leave?"

"Right now if you are ready."

Jack smiled and gave her a subtle nod after grabbing his backpack.

Arcee returned outside to her vehicular form and used her hologram to roll herself into Jack's garage. Once they shut the door Arcee called the base.

:Bulkhead, we need a bridge!::

Within seconds, a glowing green portal opened behind them. Arcee's holoform fizzled out of view and the femme revved her engine.

"After you Jack."

Jack walked through the portal with Arcee right beside him. As soon as they entered the Autobot base the portal disappeared and Arcee transformed back into bipedal form. She smiled at Jack and pointed where Optimus was currently located. The leader of the Autobots was sitting on a repair berth. Ratchet was tending to him.

Jack felt his heart begin to race. Optimus was pretty banged up. He had a multitude of dents, gashes, and scrapes all over his frame and was leaking energon in a few places. Jack sprinted straight for Optimus and ran past Miko and Raf whose greetings died on their lips when they saw the worry and fear etched on the elder teen's face.

"Optimus! Optimus, what happened?" Jack slid to a stop a few feet shy of the larger mech's foot. The boy looked ready to cry.

Optimus looked down at the young human with a slight grimace.

"We encountered Megatron and Soundwave while on our mission. A battle ensued but we were victorious. You don't need to fear for me, Jack. My injuries are hardly life threatening."

"You wouldn't have been injured at ALL if you hadn't been so slagging reckless on the battlefield! What were you THINKING Optimus?! You shouldn't have engaged the Decepticons until the rest of us got there!" Ratchet growled with narrowed optics. He waved a wrench threateningly in front of his leader's face while ranting. Jack couldn't be sure but it appeared as if the doc might actually throw it…

"As I said before Ratchet, there was no time. If I had waited…all human personnel at that installation would have perished."

Ratchet continued to grumble quietly to himself as he repaired Optimus. The teen could have sworn he heard Ratchet call Optimus _"a stubborn fool"_ beneath his breath. Jack edged a little bit closer and saw energon leaking out of a small gash in Optimus's ankle. It appeared to have been overlooked. That was kind of strange…Ratchet noticed _everything_ and was known for his exceptional ability to pay attention to even the slightest detail. Jack unzipped his backpack and pulled out his portable repair kit and looked up at the Autobot medic expectantly.

"How do I fix him?"

"What?" Ratchet glanced down at him with mild annoyance, no doubt a bit cranky that his work had been interrupted.

"There are injuries Optimus has that are too small for you to fix. How do I repair them?"

"You can't. Or rather you don't need too. His internal repair systems will heal his minor wounds."

"He is leaking energon! Please Ratchet…please show me how," Jack pleaded.

Ratchet paused mid-task and nodded.

"I will teach you in due time but not right now," the medic promised as he resumed his work.

"Jack Darby…you need not worry for me. I assure you that I am fine... but your concern is most appreciated," Optimus reached a hand down in an invitation for Jack to climb on once his repairs were complete. The boy hesitated but eventually crawled into the Autobot leader's large servo. Optimus held Jack close to his chest to prevent the boy from falling off.

"Get some rest Optimus," Ratchet ordered his leader as he began to clean up the med-bay.

The leader of the Autobots gave the elder mech a small smile and silently nodded. There was no point in trying to argue with him. Optimus knew that he had been a bit reckless during this last mission. He hardly registered the injuries that the Decepticons began to heap upon him during the fight. The Prime had been distracted thinking about Demetri Darby and his hostile intentions towards Jack…especially since Bumblebee reported seeing the man late in the afternoon hanging around Jack's high school the previous day. Thankfully the boy hadn't been there at the time. The Autobots felt it was in Jack's best interest that he didn't know. Optimus swore by the Allspark that he would protect the boy with his life.

He looked down at the human child, nestled securely in his hand. Unbeknownst to Jack, Optimus had watched him from afar and was already aware that the teen's anxiety and paranoia were steadily mounting. The leader of the Autobots couldn't help but morbidly wonder what other horrors and atrocities Jack suffered as a human youngling…

Jack leaned his head against the mech's chassis and pressed his ear against Optimus's chest armor. He was stunned when he heard something amazing.

"Optimus, I can hear your spark beating!" Jack smiled as he closed his eyes. He soaked in the comforting sound as he both heard and felt the bot's internal systems quietly revving. The steady, rhythmic sound of Prime's strong spark-beat was rather soothing and relaxing to listen too.

The leader of the Autobots found his statement rather amusing.

"Yes. I can hear yours as well."

The boy smiled again as Optimus's baritone voice gently rumbled, sending miniature vibrations rippling down his armor.

"Jack?"

The teen snapped his head to look up at Prime.

"Yes Optimus?"

"You carry a heavy burden. Are you sure you don't carry it needlessly?"

"What do you mean?"

"I know you suffer child…but must you suffer alone?"

Jack pulled his legs against his chest and rested his head on his knees.

"Arcee already tried Optimus. I don't want to talk about it…"

"Jack…we respect your wishes. We just need you to know that you are never alone."

"Is that why you had Arcee bring me here?"

"Partly. I was hoping that you would accompany me on a drive."

"You want to go for a drive _right now_? Won't Ratchet get mad at you? I thought he told you to _**rest**_." Jack hissed softly as his paranoid eyes immediately began to search the room for the medic in question. It soon became apparent that the Autobot CMO had long since departed.

Optimus softly chuckled as he lowered Jack back down to the floor. He transformed into vehicle form and opened his passenger door for the teen.

"I did rest."

Jack hauled himself into Optimus's interior cabin and buckled up. He ran a hand through his ebony hair and let out a breath.

"You call _ten minutes_ a **rest**? You are still injured! If Ratchet catches you, you are as good as dead Optimus…you realize that right?"

"What Ratchet doesn't know won't hurt him…" Prime spoke in a soft, rather conspiratorial voice.

The leader of the Autobots rolled out of the base and began to drive through the burning desert. His solid holoform activated in the driver's seat beside Jack. He hated being confined to the med-bay. Optimus would have remained at Autobot HQ only if his physician _ordered_ him to be confined to base. Luckily for him, Ratchet hadn't. In Prime's optics, he was free to roam wherever his spark desired.

"So, Optimus…where are we going this time?"

"I have no intended destination in mind. Is there anywhere you would like to go to Jack?"

The boy leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes for a moment thinking.

"There is one place I've always wanted to go…but never had the chance. I'm afraid you can't drive me there though Optimus."

"Would you care to elaborate?"

Jack suddenly felt self-conscious and shrank down in his seat. He felt that his request was too outrageous and had a feeling that it would be impossible for Optimus to grant it to him.

"Well…I've always wanted to go to the beach…to see the ocean. The only thing I've ever seen is desert. It gets kind of old after a while, you know?"

Optimus remained silent. He sensed that the child wasn't finished speaking.

"…when I was younger, like three years old…we visited my grandparents, my mother's parents, who lived on the east coast. My mom told me the story of my first experience at the beach. She said that at first, I wasn't sure what to think of it…the feeling of wet sand in my hands. I don't remember much about that trip…just the vague, distant sound of water crashing against the shore. Maybe that's why I like water so much…"

Jack noticed that Optimus had turned around to head back to the base. The cab was filled with silence for the span of at least twenty seconds before the Prime spoke again.

"You are right Jack. I cannot drive you there…" Optimus began.

Jack slumped down in his seat in defeat. He should have known it was impossible. The teen jerked his head up with wide eyes at what Optimus said next.

"Which is why we are going to take a ground bridge…"

For the first time in months, Jack felt his heart soaring. At long last, his lifelong dream would finally come true…

"Thanks so much Optimus! You have no idea how much this means to me!" Jack grinned, feeling elated.

"It's my pleasure Jack. All I desire…is to see you happy."

Without thinking or realizing what he was doing, the teen flung himself against Optimus Prime's holoform and hugged him. It took Optimus by complete surprise. Once he recovered himself, the mech returned Jack's embrace.

"We shall depart as soon as we arrive within our headquarters. I will have Arcee bridge us out."

"Sounds like a plan Optimus…so long as Ratchet doesn't catch us…"

"I've taken precautionary measures and have ensured that Ratchet is well occupied. He won't register our absence," Prime responded in a confident voice.

Optimus rolled around the bend in the tunnel and arrived in the main hub of the base only to run into a slight complication…

Ratchet was standing right in front of them with the scariest glare of all time, a wrench firmly grasped in one hand.

"Uhh…Optimus…why is he looking at you like that?" Jack couldn't stop himself from asking the rhetorical question as he took a few cautious steps away from Optimus as the Autobot leader transformed into bipedal mode.

Ratchet's optics narrowed even further as Optimus met his glare with an even stare of his own. For some reason, the Autobot leader was speechless…

"I thought I told you to **REST**!" the medic immediately snapped.

"Ratchet, I followed your sound medical advice. I have rested. Now I am resuming my post."

"Driving thirty miles out into the scorching desert is anything but! And you aren't resuming your post until I've cleared you for active duty!"

"I'm fully functional Ratchet. I am fit for duty," Optimus remained steadfast and didn't appear to be intimidated by the wrathful medic in the slightest.

"You are fit for duty when I **SAY** you are fit for duty! I don't want to hear any more excuses out of you Optimus! It's time for you to rest."

Ratchet moved forward to grab his leader by the arm but Optimus evaded his grasping hands. By now, the two elder mechs had gathered a rather amused audience as both bots and humans alike gawked at the unfolding drama.

"Don't force me to take drastic measures, Prime!"

"I'm fully functional!"

"You soon **won't** be unless you submit to your physician's authority!"

"Ratchet, I—"

 _ **CLANG!**_

The spectating audience winced as Ratchet's wrench collided painfully with Optimus Prime's cranial unit, leaving the Autobot leader dazed. His optics flickered for a moment but by the time he returned to his senses he was once again detained in the medical bay.

 _Wonderful…_

Optimus smiled at Jack apologetically while the overprotective medic continued raving about his carelessness and irresponsibility. The young boy returned his smile with a sympathetic look.

Jack took the opportunity to hang out with Raf and Miko and the three kids played video games until it was time for Jack to return home. His mother sent him a text message telling him that her shift was finally over. Arcee accompanied him back via ground-bridge and his faithful guardian resumed curbside duty. Jack eagerly looked forward to the day when Optimus would fulfill his request and take him to the beach.

The boy closed his eyes and dreamt of a life he never had. A life where he had a father who actually loved him…

…and who wanted nothing more than to see him happy and safe.

TO BE CONTINUED!

* * *

Author's Note: Sorry if the ending was kind of cheesy... Yes if you have read into it, Optimus is going to be a fatherly figure in Jack's life. Thanks for sticking with this story! I will do my best to post another chapter soon but no promises. Moving is such a pain… -.-


	5. Chapter 5

Author's Note: Hey guys! I'm now moved in to my new apartment although I still have some unpacking to do. I know the last couple of chapters focused on Jack but I hope to go back to June for a time. I'm currently debating on whether or not to deepen June's relationship with Optimus. I don't know if it will be romantic or not…or if it will just hint at romance now that my story is evolving. I don't know what to do at this point but I always love to hear from you!

Also, updates from here on out may be slow since I currently don't have internet. I have to travel to my mom's apartment to use her computer to upload new chapters. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy! :D

 **WARNING!—Graphic content; blood and gruesome injuries (Stabbing). Read at your own discretion.**

Disclaimer: I do not own Sunny-Side Café…I'm only going to assume it's a real place somewhere. I don't own half-and-half dairy creamer either.

 **Chapter 5**

"Just hold still!" June struggled to restrain a thrashing patient who was strapped down to the ambulance gurney. The man was in his mid-fifties and was a local restaurant owner. He owned a quaint little diner called "Sunny-Side Café". His name was Joey Hagen. He was just brutally stabbed by a robber who cleaned out Joey's register and office safe. The thief got away with close to three grand.

After the restaurant owner was stabbed he lost consciousness…at least until the EMT's arrived on the scene. Fortunately the single stab wound was the only injury they had to contend with. The injury inflicted was meant to kill. Thankfully the criminal was sloppy. The thief must have been in a hurry…

Joey was currently fighting June with a hand he managed to get free after wriggling it out of the Velcro restraint. He was desperately trying to yank out the knife that was still protruding from his chest. It missed his lung by a centimeter. He was very fortunate. June was doing everything in her power to calm Joey down. She used her seasoned strength to force his arm down and made sure he couldn't get free a second time by once more tightening the restraints. If he removed the knife now…he would die.

"JOEY! Listen to me! I can't remove this knife because you will start bleeding out! Right now it's the only thing keeping you alive. We'll be at the hospital soon!"

The man screamed in agony whenever the ambulance hit a bump in the road. The paramedics were doing everything in their power to get the critically wounded man to the hospital QUICKLY without killing him in the process. That knife was dangerously close to Joey's heart.

"OH MY GOD! P-Please…please…please…get it out of me! GET IT OUT OF ME!" Joey screamed as he stared wide-eyed in horror at the knife handle inches away from his face. The entire blade was completely submerged within his chest cavity. He began to hyperventilate as tears squeezed out of the corners of his eyes.

"GET IT OUT OF ME! GET IT OUT OF ME! IT'S KILLING ME!"

The man was going into shock. His breathing soon became labored and sweat beaded on his forehead and dripped down the side of his face.

"Joey! JOEY! **Don't look at it**! LOOK AT ME!"

"Oh God…help me…help me… P-PLEASE HELP ME! Get it out…get it out…PLEASE!"

"JOEY LOOK AT ME!"

The man didn't appear to hear her and kept screaming. June grabbed the side of his face and turned his cheek so that he was looking at her. His expression spoke volumes of his agony and fear.

"JOEY! You're going to be alright! That knife will come out VERY soon, okay? I'm going to give you something that will make you feel better…"

June hastily pulled open one of the overhead bulkheads and grabbed a small, glass bottle filled with clear fluid. She prepped a syringe and gently squeezed Joey's hand in reassurance. June gave Joey a shot of morphine to ease his pain and to hopefully sedate him until a surgeon could finally operate on him. Soon the man's screams died down and he was reduced to pained moans.

She spoke to him in a soothing voice and stroked his pepper colored hair as a daughter would an ailing father.

"You're doing fine Joey. We'll be there soon. I promise."

She peeled her eyes off of her patient to glance out of the forward windshield.

"Roger, slow down a notch! Take third avenue, it's a shortcut!"

Her partner acknowledged her order and maneuvered the ambulance through an intersection and down a narrow street that was rarely used. It would save them, three minutes.

"Dispatch, this is rescue squad 117. We have a stab wound victim in critical condition!" Roger reported in.

" _Copy that 117. We have medical staff standing by."_

They finally reached the Emergency Room docking bay. Roger and June gently lifted Joey out and quickly wheeled him in. June handed one of the nurses her clipboard that catalogued the amount of morphine she had given him so that the anesthesiologist would be aptly prepared.

One of the general surgeons was already prepped and awaiting their arrival. She watched as they moved Joey out of the ER and into the elevator that would take him up to the third floor to the operating theatre. June released a heavy sigh as weariness and fatigue set in.

"I don't know about you Roger…but I need some coffee," June sighed softly as her shoulders sagged in exhaustion.

"Coffee break it is," the young man smiled as he walked beside his partner.

The two tired EMT's slowly made their way down to the hospital cafeteria and poured themselves the strongest brew they could find. They both got large drinks. The two paramedics had a very gracious buddy system. They would alternate who purchased food and beverages. Today was Roger's turn to buy. June poured in five shots of half-and-half creamer as well as six sugar packets. Roger liked his coffee black. The woman honestly didn't know how anyone could enjoy drinking it that way…

She sipped small amounts of the hot, brown liquid down and released a content sigh once she took a seat at a nearby table. Slowly but surely, the caffeine took effect and began to revive her, giving her the energy boost she needed to complete the remaining four hours of her shift.

Roger took a seat across from her and eagerly stuffed bits of cheese Danish in his mouth. June smiled at him when he offered her some but politely declined.

"I'm amazed Roger at the fact you haven't gained an ounce since you began working with me."

"I have a high metabolism I guess," Roger shrugged as he licked his fingers. He'd practically inhaled that pastry.

"I envy you…" June laughed as she took another sip of her coffee.

It really was remarkable how the two of them hadn't gained much weight despite the fact that they both found themselves stress-eating a lot. June was still full from lunch. Otherwise she would have given in to her junk-food craving.

Soon a shadow fell over their table and June twisted her head around and looked up to see who it was.

"Dr. Raymond! Or do you prefer to be called Dr. Ray? Or Dr. Atchlet?"

"Dr. Ray is fine, although someone misspelled my last name. My last name is really _Atchel_ ," the elderly man smiled as he looked down at his new name badge.

June began to stand but the doctor gestured for her to sit back down.

"Please don't get up. You look like you could use a rest."

"I never got the chance to thank you for saving that boy's life a couple of weeks ago."

"Think nothing of it."

"Would you like to join us?" Roger invited while gesturing to an empty chair.

The kind spirited doctor took him up on his offer and sat down.

"So Dr. Ray…are you new to this hospital?"

"In a manner of speaking."

"What kind of care giver are you? What's your specialty?" Roger questioned curiously.

"I'm an Osteopathic physician."

"What's an Osteopathic physician?"

"An Osteopath is a doctor who practices in _every_ medical specialty. They can prescribe medications, perform surgery, deliver babies, set broken bones, you name it," June answered on Dr. Ray's behalf.

"Wow. No wonder you were able to save that kid's life so quickly…" Roger breathed in awe. Now the young man stared at Dr. Ray with newfound admiration. It was the first time he'd ever heard the word "Osteopath" let alone knew what the job entailed.

June nearly laughed when she saw Roger gazing upon the elder man as though he were a god.

"So what brought you to Jasper County Hospital? Where are you from?" June questioned cordially as she stirred her drink.

"I'm from out of town. My boss whom I've worked with for many years transferred me here. I wasn't very thrilled at first. Though I must say I've rather enjoyed working here so far."

"Yeah, it kind of grows on you after a while," June smiled softly.

"How long have you been practicing medicine?" Roger asked as he began to devour another pastry.

"For a lifetime."

"Well if that's the case, you probably know more than every doctor in this hospital put together. I bet you're the best one too," June appraised with a warm smile.

"While it's true that my knowledge is extensive…I do not feel comfortable bragging or boasting about my competency."

"Oh come on, you are just being modest. You are the _only_ Osteopathic physician we have in Jasper! You proved you are the best when you saved that dying child! I've never seen a doctor as skilled as you before in all of my life."

"Thank you for the compliment," a beeping noise registered from somewhere on Dr. Ray's person and he checked what looked like a hand-held pager. He glanced up at them with an unreadable expression. "I'm sorry to cut this so short but I must go."

"Okay, see you later?" Roger questioned hopefully.

"You can count on it," Dr. Ray nodded with a knowing smile. He left without another word.

June watched him leave feeling a sense of despondency. Dr. Ray was a mysterious fellow and the woman couldn't help but feel that he held many secrets. There was just something about him…something she just couldn't quite put her finger on. She was broken out of her silent musings when Roger gently grasped her shoulder.

"Hey partner. We should probably get going. Break time is over."

June nodded as she turned to look at him. They gathered their things and returned to their ambulance which was already cleaned and prepped for the next emergency. It wasn't long until they received their next call. It was a simple patient transfer from their hospital to a neighboring county. They loaded the patient in the aft of the ambulance and drove off without their lights and sirens on since it wasn't an emergency.

As they were passing the downtown post office something unexpected happened…

Roger swerved to avoid an oncoming vehicle and yelled out a string of profanities. If it wasn't for the seat-belt harness June was buckled down with, she would have been thrown clear across the ambulance. It only took a matter of seconds for the young man to course correct. Thankfully the patient was currently unconscious and the gurney locked down tight.

"Roger, what happened?! Did you spill your coffee on yourself again?"

If he had, it would be the second time this week…

"No! There is some sort of high speed chase going on! One of the cars nearly ran me off the road!"

"Are the cops after them?"

"Not that I can see."

"It's probably just a couple of immature teenagers out joy-riding," June growled as she glanced out the back window. "You'd better call it in to dispatch so they can alert the police."

June saw two cars race past them. Under normal circumstances an average person wouldn't pay the speedsters any thought. The woman, however, noticed that something was out of place. The two cars were both the same purple color…and they looked **exactly** identical. Like twins. Perfectly matched. That was a rare sight if ever there was one. She couldn't see the irresponsible morons driving them, the windows were too darkly tinted. Soon a green SUV followed after them in hot pursuit.

"Dear Lord…those reckless idiots better not get into a car accident," June muttered partially to herself although Roger managed to overhear her.

"They're probably a street gang that do illegal racing."

"Those reckless fools are either going to get seriously hurt or are going to end up **dead**. And guess who gets to clean up the mess? _**US**_."

The two paramedics left the Jasper city limit and made it to the neighboring town. By the time they arrived at the hospital and signed the patient over to the medical team that had been awaiting the elderly patient, night had fallen. The EMT's began their half-an-hour drive back to Jasper. June actually sat in the passenger seat up front this time since they currently had no patients to tend too. It was a nice change of scenery. The great thing about taking this route was that there was a small forest lining each side of the road for a few miles. It was much better than staring constantly at rocky mesas and the dry, rocky desert that constituted the city of Jasper Nevada.

Soon they both had to squint as blinding headlights appeared directly in front of them.

"Argh. That guy has his brights on. Why do people have to be so rude?"

Roger raised an arm up to shield his eyes from the glare as they were driving through a crossroad. That was when the Paramedics screamed.

It happened so fast. Neither of them had time to think or react. Their ambulance was T-boned by an unknown speeding vehicle which spun them around, forcing them to careen and veer off the road. Both EMT's braced for impact as a large tree appeared directly ahead of them. Roger slammed on the brakes but by then it was far too late.

"OH MY GOD!"

"HOLD ON TO SOMETHING!"

The ambulance hit the tree with a thundering crash. The last thing June saw, was the airbag deploying directly in front of her face. Then everything went dark.

* * *

"Ughn…" June moaned softly as she drifted in and out of consciousness.

" _Ms. Darby, can you hear me?"_

The voice sounded faint and warbled. Like she was hearing underwater. Her ears were ringing. She blinked multiple times, each image blurred and vague. She felt a sharp pain lance through her head and felt something wet trickling down the side of her face. June reached a hand up to touch it and when she pulled her fingers away, they were covered in bright, red blood. Dizziness assailed her causing her vision to swim, threatening to pull her back into the blissful void. There was another ambulance nearby. She could see the flashing strobe lights. Was this another paramedic?

Images began to appear before her eyes, each picture hazy and difficult to distinguish. It was like watching a movie that was chopped up with scenes out of order. For some reason everything looked and felt like it was happening in slow motion. A few times her vision was crystal clear.

June thought she saw tiny glass crystals falling off her torn and sooty uniform as she was pulled out from the wreckage. She felt disconnected from her own body…but she could tell that someone was carrying her. She caught a brief image… their ambulance was not only crashed into a tree but it was now angled in a ditch. The ambulance was a wreck. Steam billowed up from the bent hood of the smashed vehicle. Only one of the headlights remained intact and was still brightly lit.

The world began to spin until she couldn't tell if she was up or down. One moment she had been staring blearily up at the clear night sky and the next she was face down. A small patch of grass was on fire… another area was singed black near the front tire on the passenger side.

June blinked and moaned in pain as she fought back a sickening wave of nausea. Her rescuer was carrying her over one shoulder…commando style. Her rescuer was wearing a white lab coat and brief flashes of silver caught her eyes as it bobbed up and down, reflected from the light of the moon. What was it called? It hurt to think...

A stethoscope. It was a stethoscope… hanging around the collar of the lab coat.

That wasn't standard issued EMT clothing…

She sputtered and coughed as smoke wafted into her nostrils, making her wheeze. The woman could see the hazy bits and pieces of the new ambulance as they drew nearer. The flashing lights made the pain in her head pound harder.

Roger…where was Roger? This unknown person was taking her farther away from her crashed ambulance… farther away from her partner. She couldn't leave him! What if he was hurt and needed help?! She tried to find her voice. She needed to vocalize her distress. All that came out was a hoarse croak. Her mouth was dry and her tongue felt thick making it difficult to swallow.

"R-rog…"

She didn't even recognize her own voice. It sounded so gravelly. So weak.

" _Your partner is being cared for as we speak. It's_ _ **you**_ _that must be tended to now. Everything's going to be fine…"_

Even though that voice sounded so far away, it did sound extremely familiar.

She noticed a second ambulance behind them and made out the hazy image of Peterson's crew supporting Roger as he slowly limped towards their rescue vehicle. Her partner… he was alive. He was safe…

The person who was carrying her was walking in the opposite direction towards the original ambulance she had first seen.

Soon she was lifted inside the aft of the cabin. Just before her rescuer began to re-position her to lay her down on the stretcher, she could make out the blurry identification number of the vehicle near the bumper.

 **117**

The dazed and quite possibly delirious woman couldn't understand why she was being placed inside the ambulance they just crashed. Wait…she was in an accident? Is that what happened? That was when her fog covered mind registered the fact that no…this vehicle was not damaged at all. It was clean. It was spotless and perfect in every way. June began to feel exhausted and felt her body sinking further into the softly padded gurney. She closed her eyes but was jolted awake when that strangely disembodied voice returned. Someone was roughly patting her cheek.

" _Hey! Come on, stay with me! You_ _ **cannot**_ _fall asleep in your current condition!"_

She blinked slowly and stared blankly into the face of her rescuer. This man. She had seen him before. It troubled her that she couldn't remember. An oxygen mask was placed over her nose and mouth and she sucked in the crisp, clean oxygen greedily. A soft, warm, fuzzy blanket was draped over her body once she had been strapped down. The man did it in a fatherly sort of way…like he was tucking her in for bed. Slowly the voice grew fainter. Her eyelids were growing far too heavy. It was taking a great deal of effort to even keep them open.

" _Ms. Darby! DON'T FALL ASLEEP! You have a concussion! MS. DARBY!"_

Why was this man making a big deal out of it? The woman felt she should know the answer but that knowledge was currently locked away in the dark recesses of her mind. She needed to rest. She was tired…so, so tired. A few minutes couldn't hurt…

As darkness slowly consumed her, the last image she saw was the hazy, panicked face of Dr. Ray.

And the last thing she heard…

…was a terrified soul screaming her name.

* * *

A soft, faint voice was calling to her. Was she dead?

The voice slowly became clearer and more pronounced. She cracked open her bleary eyes and waited a few seconds for the bright light to dim as her pupils adjusted. Her vision slowly improved although her speech was a little slurred. She was lying in a hospital room propped up with fluffy white pillows. She noticed that her left wrist was in a brace. She must have sprained it…

"Take it easy Ms. Darby. You suffered quite a bit of trauma. How do you feel?" the doctor questioned as he carefully lifted the bandage on her forehead to see how the wound was healing. She had to have five stitches. He then gently pushed the bandage back in place.

"Like I was hit by a speeding train."

"That's not far off from the truth. Can you remember what happened?"

"Our ambulance crashed…and someone pulled me out of the wreckage…I don't know if it was a dream or not but the paramedic who saved me looked a lot like Dr. Raymond Atchel. And he put me in a replica of our crashed ambulance…" the injured woman recounted with her eyes closed in concentration.

June brought a hand to her head and hissed in pain. The memory of the identical emergency vehicle quickly faded away. Her subconscious mind most likely labeling the image as a mere hallucination brought on by the head injury. A strip of soft, white, gauzy cloth was wrapped around her head…holding the thick bandage to her temple.

"Well it's certainly nice to be remembered."

June focused her eyes on the person speaking to her and it took a few minutes for her brain to catch up to finally recognize the man.

"Dr. Ray?"

"Yes, it's me."

"What are you doing here?"

He huffed.

"Isn't it obvious? I'm your attending physician!" he frowned at her as if daring her to defy him.

June was speechless and could only stare at him dumbfounded.

"Was that really you? Are you the one who saved me?" she asked incredulously.

"Yes."

"How did you know we were in trouble? How did you find us?"

"I was in the ambulance bay when I overheard your screams. When you crashed, the dispatch radio in your ambulance was on. Finding you was easy since there is only one route between our hospital and the one in the next county."

"What were you doing in the ambulance bay?" she raised an eyebrow suspiciously.

"The Surgeon General and senior medical officer of Jasper County Hospital wanted me to familiarize myself, with your rescue vehicles in the event I was ever needed should your rescue squads become short-handed. I recently renewed my EMT license."

"You have experience as an EMT?! Is there anything you can't do?" June gaped at him in awe-struck wonder.

"Enough talk. You need to rest."

He flashed a penlight in her eyes and she hissed in pain and jerked her head away. Dr. Ray began to scribble notes on his clipboard. June's eyes widened when she remembered something crucial.

"Where's Roger?" she questioned with worry as she glanced around in confusion.

"He's fine. He only suffered two sprained fingers, minor bruising, and a few lacerations. You on the other hand endured far worse."

"Yeah partner, that concussion you're suffering from is a real doozy," a second voice piped in from the doorway.

Roger was leaning casually against the door frame with a can of soda in his hand.

"Roger!" June beamed with a large grin. She'd never been so happy to see him in all her life!

Roger entered the room to stand next to her.

"June…I'm so, so sorry…" Roger apologized profusely as he grabbed her hand and squeezed it with a worried frown.

"Sorry for what?" June questioned with mild confusion.

"I was the one driving…maybe you wouldn't have gotten so hurt if I had just—"

"It wasn't your fault Roger. It would have happened no matter who was at the wheel. We're still alive and our injuries aren't too severe. You have nothing to blame yourself for!" June reassured him.

"Your partner has hardly left your side. I nearly had to pry him away from you with a crowbar, when he refused to take care of his own needs," Dr. Ray shot Roger an annoyed look. The young man had neglected himself. He barely ate and he barely slept. Dr. Ray had to resort to using threats after the third day. He told Roger that if he didn't eat…he would force feed him with a tube down his throat and that if he didn't sleep…he would _put_ him to sleep.

"How long was I out?" June questioned when she saw bright sunlight filtering through the blinds on the window.

"Four days," Roger winced knowing that June would not be happy with that news.

"WHAT?! Oh my God, JACK! I have to get to my son!" June panicked as she began unhooking herself from the medical devices still attached to her in a determined struggle to escape out of the blankets that were currently holding her prisoner. Dr. Ray Atchel would have none of it and forced her back into bed, re-attaching the blood pressure cuff and pulse clip. She really would have received an earful had she succeeded in ripping out the IV line in her right arm.

"Ms. Darby! I promise you that during your recovery, your son has been taken care of. I have a very close, trusted friend who agreed to act as Jack's guardian until you were able to return home. He's quite safe."

June relaxed a notch. Until the full gravity of her situation hit her full force. June's face immediately turned a bright shade of red. She didn't like entertaining the thought that someone had to care for her more…private… needs while she'd been unconscious.

 _Please don't let there be a catheter…_ June fervently prayed. She quickly checked when Dr. Ray and Roger weren't looking. Nope. There wasn't one. _Oh thank God!_ That didn't mean that she hadn't been hooked up to one at some point while she'd been in a mini-coma for the past four days.

"Why does my right leg feel stiff?" June began to panic as she flexed her toes.

"Oh don't be such a sparkl—an infant," the man quickly corrected himself. Internally Ratchet was cursing himself for his blunder.

Ms. Darby apparently didn't seem to notice as she was too focused in trying to figure out what happened to her leg and Roger was preoccupied texting a close buddy of his.

"Here, look…" Dr. Ray Atchel pulled the covers back to reveal a black, walking cast bound to her lower right leg.

"Aw dammit. How am I supposed to return to work with THAT?!"

"You aren't. You are going on medical leave for the next month."

"NO WAY! You can't be serious!"

"Sorry June…doctor's orders," Roger gave her a sad smile. "Which totally SUCK by the way!" Roger then turned to glare at Dr. Ray who appeared unfazed by the young man's tenacity. "Now I'm going to be forced to ride with Johns and Lidia for the next month!"

"It's okay Roger. You'll do fine without me," June attempted to give him an encouraging smile but it came out more like a grimace.

At that moment she received two surprise visitors.

"JACK!"

"MOM!" The teen ran to her bedside and gently embraced her with a relieved smile. She kissed her son's forehead and gave him a loving smile as she ran a gentle hand against his cheek. Her gaze shifted to her son's escort.

The man who had accompanied her son slowly approached. He nodded at her with a warm smile. He carried himself in a confident manner. He exhibited a great deal of physical strength if his muscle mass was anything to go by. Despite his impressive physical stature, he seemed to have a calm, gentle, and kind aura about him. His very presence seemed to promote a sense of peace and security. He was rather attractive and for some reason she couldn't peel her eyes off of his handsome face. His bright blue eyes were beautiful…they mesmerized her. She had to snap herself out of it…it was rude to stare.

"Hello Ms. Darby. I am Orion Paxton. Dr. Raymond and I are close friends. He asked me to care for your son while you were hospitalized. I hope that my role as guardian meets your approval…"

His voice was deep and rich. It was kind, but firm. He was very pleasant to listen too. She wished he would keep talking. June was speechless and had to mentally chastise herself when she was once again drawn into the depths of those amazing blue eyes of his…

 _Oh stop it June! You're acting like a school girl crushing on the first cute boy she meets…_

A subtle nudge from her son accompanied by the clearing of a throat brought her crashing back to reality.

"Oh! Uh, uh-n-no…no that's great! That's totally awesome. Thank you Orion for watching my son. In fact, you can watch him anytime," she stammered much to her embarrassment. It had been a long time since anyone made her feel that flustered. Try as she might, June couldn't stop her cheeks from burning a bright cherry red.

"I am very glad to see that your health has improved Ms. Darby. We were all very worried about you," he smiled again as compassion seeped into his voice.

"Alright everyone, visiting hours are over. Ms. Darby needs her rest," Dr. Ray ordered firmly.

Roger and Jack grumbled quietly to themselves as they began to leave June's room. They said farewell. Orion was the last visitor to leave. He looked down at June with a serious expression although his eyes were soft.

"I promise your son will be safe with me. Please, rest well."

"Thank you Mr. Paxton," June smiled tiredly.

The man left June and Dr. Ray alone.

"Alright June…I will check up on you by the hour. _REST._ "

"I promise," June sighed softly as she closed her eyes. She was asleep within minutes.

Once he was satisfied that his patient was adhering to his orders, Dr. Ray slipped silently out of the room thanking Primus that for ONCE a patient actually chose to be cooperative. He could only wonder just how long that would last…

TO BE CONTINUED!

* * *

Author's Note: Please review and let me know what you think concerning June and Optimus's possible relationship! As I said before…I just don't know. ._.


	6. Chapter 6

Author's Note: Happy belated New Year! Sorry I've been gone so long! I've had a lot of real life issues going on and had a very severe case of writers block.

Alright so it seems that it's a tie. Half of you said you want a June/Ratchet pairing and the rest of you said June/Optimus. I think at this point in time I'm just going to leave their relationships as simply professional although I can totally see why it would appear logical for a June/Ratchet relationship simply because they are both in the medical field and it can be commonplace for a patient to fall for their doctor. Personally, the only relationship I can imagine between June and Ratchet would be familial simply because Ratchet is more of a 'grandfatherly' type given his advanced age.

STORY NOTE: I have decided that M.E.C.H. will not exist in this story since there is so much going on already. I hate them anyway. Therefore they get no spotlight! XD

* * *

 **Chapter 6**

An entire month went by without any further incident, but for June it felt more like an agonizing eternity. She'd followed Doctor Raymond's orders regarding her recovery to the letter, despite the fact his constant mothering irritated her beyond measure. Once she was cleared for active duty again and the cast finally came off her leg, she immediately returned to work although she did continue a secondary assignment which was to naturally, investigate the details concerning the accident she and her partner had been in. The young woman met Roger down in the basement of the hospital where all of the files and records were kept for patients that had been in and out of the hospital for the past ten years.

They came to discover that there were no records indicating that there had been any other patients besides the two of them, who had received medical care the day of the crash. So they expanded their search and stumbled upon a frightening conclusion after interviewing the employees of Jasper's only tow truck company and collision repair shops.

"I'm telling you June, my friend checked and re-checked the police databases for Jasper and Dane county next door. There were no patients admitted to either hospital. Dr. Raymond and Peterson's crew also confirmed it."

"That's not possible!"

"You're right, it's not. It's like we got hit by a phantom. There was no debris apart from our own ambulance."

"How the hell could someone have T-boned us going nearly 45 miles an hour and not have a totaled car?! The other driver should in all reality be freaking DEAD if not mortally wounded from a collision like that!"

"I'm sorry June, but I'm afraid this is a case that will have to remain unsolved. We have no more leads."

The normally headstrong and determined woman hated to admit it, but Roger was right.

"Alright…but I still think we should keep an eye out for anything suspicious or out of the ordinary. Anything that might warrant another investigation," June spoke grimly with severity in her eyes.

Roger readily agreed and the two of them left the case alone, soon resuming their usual duties. It took discipline and a great deal of effort on her part, but before long the young woman pushed the memory of the accident to the back of her mind. There was no sense in allowing her thoughts to distract her from her work. She would be damned if a patient died due to her careless negligence.

What June Darby, paramedic of the brand new 117 ambulance, didn't know…was that the accident, was only just the beginning.

* * *

 _ **-Three Weeks Previously-**_

Optimus Prime, Ratchet, and Arcee convened in secret with Jack Darby and Agent Fowler via their holoforms, within the confines of none other than Jack's garage. June Darby was still hospitalized but was currently being guarded by Bumblebee. Bulkhead and Smokescreen kept the other children safe in the meantime. The leader of the Autobots dispensed with any pleasantries and began their council without delay.

"We've gathered intel regarding the accident. June Darby and her partner Roger must not be made aware of this under any circumstances. A Decepticon was responsible for what occurred the night of the crash…" Optimus began grimly.

The others nodded their heads silently, their facial expressions neutral. It came of no surprise to any of them.

"...the accident was not intentional."

The two humans present in the room shared equally stunned expressions at the newfound revelation.

"The Decepticon that hit June Darby's ambulance had been fleeing from Starscream. No doubt the con was on Megatron's termination list for failing a mission."

"What mission?" Jack questioned with a raised brow, unknowingly asking the same question that Agent Fowler was thinking.

"We are uncertain at this time. All we know is that Megatron has been searching for something."

"Well it must have been extremely important if Megatron went through all of the trouble to order the hit on his own soldier…" Arcee mentioned thoughtfully.

"Wow. Megatron does not take failure well…" Jack mumbled wryly.

"So the con was running…and June's ambulance became a roadblock…" Agent Fowler animatedly gestured.

"Obviously the con was in a big enough hurry that he didn't take the time to avoid the collision," Ratchet growled with deep loathing.

"Wouldn't that Decepticon have sustained some form of damage after hitting my mom's ambulance at that speed?" Jack frowned deeply.

"No. Cybertronians have far denser alloys than your Earth vehicles," Optimus softly explained when his eyes met the boy's questioning ones.

"Did Starscream succeed in terminating the con he was chasing?" Agent Fowler asked the small assembly with a raised brow.

"Indeed he did. The con sealed his own fate when he chose to ram June Darby's ambulance. The collision slowed the vehicon enough that Starscream was able to catch him approximately seven minutes later," Ratchet confirmed with a grunt.

"I have a feeling that the fleeing con would have been caught whether he hit June's ambulance or not," Optimus serenely spoke as his eyes swept over those gathered in Jack's garage.

"Bumblebee followed the Decepticon's trail as far south as Dane County's wildlife preserve, just forty-seven miles from the assassination point. After a thorough scouting mission of the area, Bumblebee reported traces of a Cybertonium element but was unable to locate the source. Whatever the Decepticon had been sent to find…was never retrieved—hence his failure and subsequent death. It's safe to assume that it was taken by an unknown party," Arcee announced as she placed both hands on her hips.

"So…the con was sent to find an unknown object, someone else picked it up before he arrived, Megatron found out, ordered the hit on said con, Starscream chased him, the con on the run crashed into June, and was subsequently terminated by Megatron's second in command a short time later. Am I missing anything?" Agent Fowler questioned with a stern look as he scribbled notes on a clipboard. He was most likely preparing a report for General Bryce.

"Nope. I think that pretty much covers it," Arcee smiled in response.

"I suggest you find that stolen artifact as soon as possible. God forbid it turns out to be some kind of alien weapon. There is only so much that I can withhold from my superiors at the pentagon, Prime. I'm taking a serious risk by taking the heat if this whole mystery goes south," Agent Fowler's face grew stern as he turned a penetrating gaze on the leader of the Autobots.

"I understand Agent Fowler. You have my thanks. We will keep you informed once we have a lead," Optimus gave the government liaison a partial nod in acknowledgment.

Everyone began to part ways as their short council ended. Agent Fowler was the first to hit the road, soon followed by Ratchet. The good doc had to return to June Darby's bedside to oversee the remainder of her recovery. Optimus and Arcee shared a glance before turning their full attention on the teenage boy.

"Jack, Optimus is going to guard you for a while," Arcee gave him an apologetic look. Jack and Arcee had been hanging out more often, now that Jack had the house all to himself. They originally wanted to watch action-movie marathons. Jack even began to teach the femme how to play card and board games. He was a little disappointed that their plans would now have to be postponed but the teenager knew that his primary guardian would make it up to him eventually.

"Bumblebee is my top scout and Arcee my best tracker. I need them out in the field until we have a good lead," Optimus spoke softly as he gave Jack a sympathetic pat on the back. The Autobot leader knew how much Arcee deeply cherished her human friend.

"I understand," Jack smiled at his two guardians. He knew well enough that the Autobots all had their own individual and rather unique skill sets that made each one of them an invaluable asset to team Prime. Besides, it had been a while since he'd last spent any time with Optimus. The 16-year-old watched Arcee drive away and then turned his head to look up at Optimus's holoform. The Autobot leader appeared to be lost in thought. He soon turned to look at Jack and with a small smile, he gently placed a fatherly hand on Jack's shoulder and began to guide the boy out of the garage but not before the youth had retrieved his backpack.

"I believe you require sustenance, Jack."

The boy halted mid stride and whirled around on Optimus with wide eyes, causing the elder to bump into him. Jack was thankful they weren't in a densely populated part of town. It was time to educate his guardian, seeing as how the Autobot leader rarely interacted with humans beyond the boundaries of the Autobot base.

"Woah! Optimus. You can't go walking around in public using vocabulary like that!"

The confused look on Prime's face was priceless.

"Have I used the term incorrectly?"

"Well, no. It's just that…most humans use words like that in literature and not in everyday speech. Trust me Optimus, you will attract unwanted attention if you talk that way. People will get suspicious and suspicion always leads to paranoia and eventual conspiracy theories…which mostly revolve around aliens," the boy gave him a pointed look.

"Very well. What is the correct terminology?"

" _Food_ …its' called food. And you are right, it's dinner time," the boy began to grin with amusement as his guardian's facial expression changed into one of bewilderment.

"Dinner. Is that a secondary translation for 'food'?"

Jack's eyes widened unable to contain his shock.

"Seriously Optimus…you don't know what _dinner_ is?"

His guardian remained silent as he gave him an even stare devoid of emotion. His lack of response both verbal and facial answered his question.

"Oh boy…how best to explain this…"

Jack ran a hand through his hair and sighed. The teen supposed that Optimus up until this point had been far too busy dealing with all of the leadership duties that were demanded of him to take any significant time to learn more about the complexities of human culture and their customs.

"Well humans usually eat three meals a day. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They revolve around a certain time of day. Breakfast is usually in the morning, lunch is around mid-day, and dinner is in the evening. Food types vary according to each meal…"

Optimus began to innocently raise one hand into the air and opened his mouth, no doubt ready to assault Jack with a slew of questions. Jack beat him to it. He had a feeling he knew what the Autobot leader was going to ask him.

"NO! The snacks you see Raf and Miko eating are _not_ meals!"

Optimus lowered his hand and raised a brow.

"I'm afraid I don't understand…"

" _Snacks_ are just various food types that can be eaten at any time during the day, usually between meals. Most snacks aren't listed in the 'healthy' category like regular meals are. Humans call that junk food. Food that we don't need but that we just enjoy eating."

"Why consume 'junk food' if you already have three meals scheduled for the day?"

Jack scratched his head in thought.

"I guess…sometimes if we don't have time for a meal we just eat a snack. It sort of…keeps the hunger at bay until we actually eat another meal."

Jack internally cheered when he saw that Optimus was satisfied with the answer.

"Then I think it is high time you had your dinner," Optimus smiled as he walked Jack out to his vehicle form. After his holoform climbed into the driver's seat, Prime started the engine and drove downtown once Jack was safely secured via restraining harness.

 _No…it was a_ seatbelt _ **.**_ _Prime had to silently correct himself._

They pulled into the parking lot of a local diner. They both went inside. Orion Paxton and Jack appeared to all that beheld them as father and son. Thanks to the three children, the Autobots were becoming far more adept at blending in when it came to public outings.

Their human disguises gradually…well…transformed over time, at least when it came to fashion. Optimus no longer appeared as the "cowboy" trucker he had when Jack first encountered him. His holoform now wore blue jeans and a white, long sleeved t-shirt with an American flag emblazoned on the front. The red and blue colors popped out amidst the white background quite nicely. The Autobot leader, now devoid of a hat, chose to wear white, brand named running shoes with a blue logo instead.

Once the duo were seated, Jack was all too eager to grab the menu being handed to him by the hostess. He thanked her and then began to browse. Optimus picked up his menu and pretended to be interested. Prime knew he had to stay in character. A few minutes later, Jack was ready to order. The waitress returned with a small notepad and a pen. She smiled at them both and then proceeded to take their orders.

"Hello, my name is Judy and I will be serving you today. Can I start you off with any drinks or appetizers?"

"I would like to have a cola, cheeseburger, and fries with a side of ranch."

She scribbled Jack's order down and then turned a smiling face to meet Orion's indecisive one. He smiled kindly at her and placed the menu down.

"I would appreciate a glass of ice water please. I'm afraid I will not be ordering food at this time."

Judy nodded, still smiling.

"I'll have your drinks right out!"

After she collected their menus and went to serve other tables, Jack looked at Optimus with a smile of his own.

"Thank you for bringing me here Opt—Orion," Jack quickly corrected himself.

"There is no need to thank me Jack. As your guardian it is my responsibility to oversee your welfare."

Jack fiddled with the paper wrapper that had once been concealing his straw. He glanced up at Optimus with worry.

"Is my mom going to be okay?"

"Yes. Dr. Ray is the most experienced medical officer I've ever seen. Her injuries though substantial, were not deemed as life threatening."

"When can I go visit her?"

"Once her doctor gives us permission."

Optimus pretended to drink his water. When he was sure that no one was looking, he carefully poured a small amount into the plant vase on the window sill beside their table. This did not escape Jack's notice.

"You can't drink water?" Jack asked in a low voice so as not to be overheard.

"No, I cannot. My holoform, despite its human appearance, does not function as a real human. It's merely a disguise."

"Okay, fair enough."

A few minutes later, Jack's food arrived. He began eating but stopped for a moment when he noticed that Optimus had been staring at him the entire time.

"What?" the teenager questioned around a mouthful of fries.

"How much food can a human youth such as yourself consume during the course of one meal?"

Jack swallowed before answering him.

"It all depends. Me…I can eat maybe twice as much as what I'm having now but I won't. I guess it's because I'm still growing."

Jack continued eating and tried to ignore Optimus's constant interest in him. He supposed that if he were an alien visiting another planet, he too would be curious about that species' eating methods too. Still…Optimus was starting to make him feel kind of awkward. Three minutes passed and that was when Jack decided enough was enough.

"Okay, stop! Why are you watching me? Haven't you seen a human eat before?" he whispered with a hiss so as not to be overheard.

"I apologize. I find your personal eating habits to be quite fascinating…but I will honor your request."

Optimus turned his attention away from the boy and resumed his mission of stealthily pouring water out of his glass into the plant vase after pretending to drink it. Jack soon finished his dinner and returned Judy's smile when she came back to collect his plate. She asked Orion if he wanted a refill but he of course politely declined. After paying for Jack's meal, the two returned outside and headed for Optimus's vehicle mode.

As they left the restaurant, a white pickup truck with brand new tires began to follow them. Optimus, ever vigilant, recognized their pursuer and headed out of town. It didn't take long for Jack to catch on and questioned his guardian.

"Why is that truck following us?"

Jack leaned forward to get a better look through one of Optimus's side-view mirrors but the Prime was already one step ahead of him. He folded both mirrors inward, completely obscuring the truck from the youngling's view. The Autobot leader felt it would be best that the boy remain oblivious. His efforts to conceal the truth were in vain. Jack Darby was a very intelligent young man. He put two-and-two together.

"Demetri. He's following us, isn't he?"

When Optimus refused to acknowledge his question, the teen looked out of the window to see that they had already left Jasper city limits far behind them. Dane County loomed into view. The town there was three times the size of Jasper. Obviously, Prime was going to try to lose their determined pursuer in the heart of the town. In lieu of their current problem, the Autobot leader did something rather uncharacteristic that would hopefully put the boy at ease. He tuned in to a hard rock station.

"Optimus…why did you—"

"A chase scene requires an invigorating musical compilation, does it not?"

Jack turned his head to look at Prime's holoform who was still 'driving' his vehicle mode with surprise evident on his young, facial features.

"Yeah, but usually only in movies. Musical themes are used to enhance the hero's successful escape…"

"Indeed…and escape we shall. Hence the music."

After driving through obscure alleyways, side streets, and main avenues, Optimus in the long run finally lost the villain who had been chasing them. He began a return trip to Jasper when his com-line alerted him to an incoming message from Arcee.

" _Optimus, we believe we may have found traces of the relic that the Decepticons were after. Bumblebee and I already scouted the area and found nothing and yet there seems to be a beacon according to our scanners. It's not far from your location. What are your orders?"_

"The area you scouted, have you deemed it safe?"

 _"Affirmative. We swept the place and it was clean. The only thing we found were traces of those ionized Cybertonium particles. We thought you might want to look into it."_

"Please transmit the coordinates where you located the beacon. I want Smokescreen and Bulkhead on standby in the event I require backup. I will keep Jack with me for now. Demetri Darby attempted to follow us today, most likely in an attempt to locate the boy's home."

" _Understood._ _Transmitting the coordinates now, Optimus."_

"Thank you Arcee."

Prime was mildly surprised when the coordinates received, pin-pointed the specified area within the confines of Dane County's wildlife preserve. He immediately did a U-turn and began driving the other way.

"Optimus…I know it's really none of my business…but don't you think finding traces of that relic was, i don't know... a little too easy?"

"I have considered the possibility. If the Decepticons did not retrieve it, it stands to reason that they were either unable to locate it, or have devised a brilliant scheme in which to bait us."

"If the Decepticons were using it as a trap…why didn't they attack Arcee and Bumblebee when they were searching for it?"

"Perhaps Arcee and Bumblebee were not the intended targets."

Jack's eyes widened considerably.

"Are you saying that the trap could be meant for Ratchet, Bulkhead, Smokescreen, or you?"

"Given the data we already have…it is unclear. We must be vigilant and proceed with caution."

"Optimus, shouldn't you wait for backup?"

"I have the others on stand-by should I require their assistance. They are after all, only a ground-bridge away," Prime's holoform smiled.

"Why are you taking me with you? You can easily ground-bridge me back to base...or you could just drop me off at Jasper County Hospital. Ratchet is there, he could guard me."

"I feel sending you back to base to be unnecessary if Arcee's report is accurate. Besides, with Demetri Darby currently hunting you, I deem it far safer for you to remain with me. If he were to discover the location of your residence or that of your mother's position at the hospital, it would only be a matter of time until he learned the location of our base…and of our existence."

They drove the rest of the way in companionable silence. Once they neared the site, Optimus stopped and scanned the area. Roughly forty minutes had gone by during their trip to the Dane County Wildlife Preserve. The leader of the Autobots allowed Jack to hop out after he deemed the area to be safe. Once the boy was a safe distance away, the towering leader of the Autobots transformed and stood tall. Fortunately the dense forest concealed them from any prying eyes. His optics immediately searched for any clues that might hint as to where the mystery relic could have gone.

Suddenly without any warning, a large branch snapped. Optimus looked down at Jack with a small frown. The boy looked up at him with clear astonishment.

"Uhh...Optimus, that wasn't me…"

Slowly, the ground began to shake, indicating massive footfalls nearing their position. The owner of those footstepst soon entered the small clearing. Prime growled as his battle mask slid into place. He narrowed his azure optics as he spoke to his young charge in his customary, majestic sounding voice.

"Jack, get behind me," Optimus sternly ordered.

The leader of the Autobots got into a defensive stance as his arm blades extended from his forearms. Jack peered around his guardian's large foot and felt icy cold fear running through his veins when his horrified eyes beheld the newcomer.

" ** _Optimus! I've been expecting you!_** "

The leader of the Autobots only had to growl out one word. A name that Jack would always remember, that came with a terrifying face he would never forget.

" _ **MEGATRON..."**_

* * *

TO BE CONTINUED!

Author's Note: okay, so for some reason the fan fiction website won't allow me to respond to reviews. I had a reviewer ask me which universe I am basing my characters upon, or at least Optimus. I'm basing them from the Prime TV show but his arm blades are the ones from the Bay movies. Grr…I hate that man. He killed EVERYONE in those movies!

Also, if any of you have written and posted stories on this website **beware of story pirates!** I had a friend who was searching for one of my stories on my other account and she stumbled across a completely different website sort of similar to fanfiction and this other author STOLE one of my stories from this website, posted it as their own but altered it in ways that already have my dead, future-self, rolling in my grave. O_O I don't know HOW this person did it, just **warning** you guys that **there are story pirates** out there!


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note** **:** I'm so sorry! I know it's been way too long since I last updated. I'm going to spare you my profound excuses. I made this chapter EXTRA long in the hopes you don't throw me off of the cliff I left you hanging on! :D Hopefully I can focus more on this story now that I've removed one I was in the middle of writing since I completely lost my inspiration and not many people liked it…including me, and I'm the one who wrote it lol. I sort of finished another one ( _kind of)_ …I left it as a sort of ending/prelude to an eventual sequel.

I'm in the process of writing an original science fiction novel that I really want to publish one of these days. I'm already at page 43! I've also composed a soundtrack that would accompany it should my book become famous enough to one day be a movie. ;)

The whole point of trying to limit myself by finishing/discontinuing stories is so that I'm not overwhelmed…. Regardless I believe **this** story is one that I will finish for certain! :D

* * *

 **ONE LAST NOTE!** \- Just so you know I envision Optimus's arm blades protracting from his forearm and sliding _over_ his wrist above his hand, like in the Michael Bay movies- _(Don't get me started when it comes to that TF serial killer...)_ -rather than in the Prime show where his whole hand disappears and is replaced with a sword. That was always weird to me. You can imagine this as you see fit, I'm just giving you the heads up since I've written it this way. THANKS!

* * *

 **CHAPTER 7**

" _Optimus! I've been expecting you!"_

" _ **Megatron**_ _…"_ Optimus growled with narrowed optics as his arch-rival leered at him from across the glade. The leader of the Autobots glanced down at Jack, seconds before Megatron fully entered the clearing and gave him a stern look—one that Jack could easily read despite the fact a battle mask currently obscured most of it.

" _Stay behind me. Keep out of sight. Return to the park entrance and do not return…no matter what you may hear."_ Optimus ordered softly but firmly.

Jack nodded with wide eyes and then made a hasty retreat towards the dirt road that would lead him back to the security gate.

Optimus then focused his full attention on his foe. He was confident that Megatron was ignorant of the child's presence. His confidence was immediately shattered seconds later and was replaced with momentary, spark-wrenching fear when the Decepticon leader acknowledged that he caught wind of what Optimus was trying to hide. Megatron simply raised his right hand and used his index finger to slowly, yet repeatedly point in the direction behind the Autobot leader where Jack was still fleeing… with a wicked grin of absolute glee.

Optimus managed to mask most of his initial terror as he shook himself free from the paralyzing effect that such a reviled emotion evoked. He held his ground and chose to retract his arm blades, preferring fists over weapons. It gave his hands greater range of motion should the need arise to fight his opponent in hand-to-hand combat. His mind raced with thousands of thought processes all at once.

 _Why was Megatron here? Why was he here alone? He rarely challenged him personally. What was his motivation? Who or what, was he really after? Was it Jack? Why else would he have pointed towards the path Jack was using to escape? It was rather convenient for Megatron to meet him here…_ too convenient _. This couldn't be a chance encounter. It appeared to be nothing short of a grand coincidence… but Optimus Prime didn't believe in coincidence…only the illusion of coincidence._

His thought process ground to a screeching halt at the startling sound of Megatron's harsh laughter. The Autobot leader internally berated himself for his inattentiveness. If he and Jack were going to get out of their current dilemma alive, Optimus knew he had to remain alert. One more slip up like that…

The leader of the Autobots shuddered as virtually every possible worst-case scenario seared through his already overworked processor in less than a nanosecond.

Megatron laughed as he watched the human child escape and shouted after him.

"Don't go far, boy! _**I'm coming for you next**_!"

Megatron gave the Autobot leader a haughty smirk when he took notice of his wide optics and protective posture. Optimus Prime was a fool for bringing the boy here with him!

"Did you honestly believe that the child would escape my notice? I could hear his diminutive footfalls through the fallen leaves minutes before I made my presence known…and I could smell his fear long before he departed…" the Decepticon leader sneered.

"Leave him out of this, Megatron. This is between you and me!"

"Indeed it is…but once your spark has been extinguished, I promise you…the boy **will** be _mine_."

Optimus's optics narrowed and he growled as he slid into a fighting stance.

"If that is what you desire…then you'll have to go through _**me**_."

"I intend to! Thank you for answering my summons by the way. Although I'm rather disappointed that you fell for such a simple ruse..."

Megatron held up the locator beacon and replayed the transmission between Optimus and "Arcee". Only this time…

Optimus clenched his hands into fists when he heard Megatron's clever ploy. The transmission between himself and Arcee _**was**_ a trap! In fact it wasn't really Arcee's voice at all—Megatron disguised his own using a voice modulator.

 _So Jack had been right..._

Prime immediately recognized his oversight with deep loathing. How could he have been so foolish? The coordinates for this impromptu rendezvous was the perfect place for such an encounter. Remote and far from prying human eyes. The Autobot leader mentally chided himself for ignoring the plain, yet contradictive subtleties found within the wording of the message.

"— _ **found nothing**_ _and yet there_ _ **seems to be a beacon**_ _according to our scanners. We_ _ **swept the place**_ _and_ _ **it was clean**_ _. The only thing_ _ **we found**_ _were traces of those ionized Cybertonium particles. We thought_ _ **you**_ _might want to_ _ **look into it**_ _."_

He should have paid more attention…

Optimus Prime vowed he would not make the same mistake twice.

"If you came here to retrieve the artifact, it's long gone. We don't have it."

"I know you don't. I didn't come here for a mere trinket," the Decepticon leader scoffed as though Prime were an ignorant youngling.

"Then why are you here?" Optimus questioned warily. He had a feeling he wasn't going to like the answer.

"Why do you _think_? It's time to end our conflict permanently! Only one of us will walk away this time! I've made sure of it. Your com-link is jammed, so don't expect a rescue. I have Soundwave to thank for that. Now what is that phrase you seem to take an obsessive liking to? _'One shall stand and one shall fall'_? Very fitting, for fall you shall!"

Megatron charged up his arm mounted fusion cannon and aimed it at his hated arch-nemesis. Optimus was already moving before he had the chance to fire. The Autobot leader tackled him and didn't grace his long-time rival with a response as they engaged in hand-to-hand combat.

For Optimus, it was not surprising that his communications were down. He didn't need an expert to tell him that. He knew they'd been disabled from the moment he set foot in the glade, right as Megatron made his grand appearance.

Optimus Prime was far from worried. There were a few times in the past when Megatron challenged him alone. So far, the Autobot leader kept a pretty good track record with victories outweighing defeats. When it came to one-on-one battles with Megatron, Optimus almost always came out on top.

However, something about _this_ personal challenge felt…off to him somehow. Prime had the feeling that something dire was going to happen. That it was going to have a drastic impact on the future…

"You were foolish to bring the boy here. That's not like you…seeing as how you have a weak-minded, loathsomely stubborn nature when it comes to protecting and saving every living thing. Well I promise you, Prime. I shall be sure to bring great pain upon him as soon as I'm finished with _you_."

"You won't succeed, Megatron! Not while I still function!"

"You cannot protect that insect forever. Tell me, why does this human appeal to you more than any other? Why go so far as to risk your life to save such a worthless creature…one who is so undeserving of life?"

"You are forgetting Megatron…Primus created _all_ life. Including the humans." The Autobot leader growled deeply as he protracted his right sword blade from the hidden sheath in his forearm.

"Your little pet is an abomination…a weakling who is unfit and undeserving of life."

"You call Jack _an abomination_? You know as well as I do, that Primus is incapable of creating those. Only Unicron holds that power," Optimus countered as he rolled clear of a cannon blast. "By allowing Unicron to darken and twist your very spark, you became ripe for the molding. The chaos bringer created an abomination all right…but that abomination… is _**you.**_ "

" **Ah!** So at last the little one has a name. _**Jack.**_ He'll be the first human I enslave after I've conquered this world. Thanks for the compliment by the way…" Megatron smirked with wicked delight when Optimus went on the offensive and launched his first attack with an enraged war cry.

The Decepticon leader's own sword extended from his arm guard and he clashed blades with the Autobot leader, sending sparks flying.

Luckily the forest was still drenched from a twelve hour downpour of heavy rain, so there was little to no chance that any vegetation would catch on fire. Optimus was thankful for this. He could only imagine how Agent Fowler would react if half the forest burned down…

As they fought, Megatron purposefully gave Optimus the upper hand…simply so he could better observe his opponents flaws and exploit his rival's weaknesses. The Autobot leader's strength was his brilliant, calm, and calculating mind. Optimus Prime was well-known to remain stoic and reserved. If it weren't for those traits, he might have been defeated millennia ago.

Megatron knew this. They'd been fighting an ageless war for eons after all.

So his goal was to corrupt the delicate balance between logic and emotion.

He could already see the simmering anger within Prime's optics…it was a flickering flame. Megatron knew that to achieve certain victory, sometimes patience was the key. He watched and waited for the perfect opportunity, in which time he would take that small flame of anger within Optimus Prime and coax it into a roaring, raging inferno.

It wasn't difficult to successfully goad many of his past opponents into dropping their usually taciturn personas in exchange for an all-encompassing, emotional eruption. Optimus Prime was the only one in history that ever proved to be the rare exception.

The Decepticon leader was baffled beyond reason when he realized that baiting his current enemy with verbal taunts was quite easy this time…it was completely out of character for Optimus. It usually took more than this to break him… What would normally have taken a prolonged battle to augment _some_ form of emotional response took less than a minute.

"Do you know what I'm going to do with the boy once I've finally caught him? I won't kill him right away…of that I can promise you. So I shall grant him a fate worse than death."

"You'll never get within a league of him! I won't let you!"

"Your overconfidence in your abilities to protect the child will be your downfall."

As they continued to fight, Megatron's verbal jabs and taunts began to do exactly as he'd been hoping for. Optimus's defenses were weakening. Optimus Prime must really care for this boy… perhaps he could use that to his advantage.

"Rather than kill the child…perhaps I'll make him my personal slave. Or better yet, my little _**pet**_!"

Megatron knew that Prime's compassion for lesser creatures made him predictable in battle. If those he was so desperately trying to protect were caught in the middle of the titans' battles…or were individually targeted, Optimus immediately went on the defensive and did everything in his power to prevent the Decepticons from achieving their intended goal.

Therefore, it was not that difficult for Megatron to manipulate the course of the battle. He simply fueled his own attacks commingled with threats against the human boy's safety to force Prime on the defensive. The Decepticon leader had to play his role or risk arousing Optimus's suspicion. It wasn't that difficult since Megatron was usually the savagely offensive one… especially when it came to fulfilling his promises to eliminate something or someone. His threats were never to be ignored or taken lightly and Prime knew that. Megatron always vowed to stop at nothing to see his murderous intentions through. If he failed to make Optimus believe that his target was Jack and not himself…Megatron's efforts were in vain.

Optimus parried and counter-attacked the Decepticon leader's every blow. He seemed to be focusing more on their physical battle rather than their verbal one. So far, Prime appeared outwardly calm despite Megatron's jibes regarding Jackson Darby.

Optimus knew that words, despite their potential to deeply wound, were still more or less just empty air.

Then why couldn't he simply ignore them?

" **NEVER**! The child's life and his destiny...are to remain **FREE**!" Optimus shouted as he locked blades moments later with his wily combatant.

Megatron laughed maniacally as he thought of something truly diabolical…it would stoke the forge and at last ignite the long dormant feelings that Optimus had suppressed for countless years. There was no doubt about it. Megatron would no longer have to continue his little ruse once Prime completely abandoned his defensive way of thinking in exchange for aggressive domination.

"In the beginning, I think the first thing I will have my obedient little slave do is mount your head upon one of the walls in my throne room-"

" _ **Don't push me**_ _Megatron!_ " Optimus snarled with the promise of retribution should he ignore his warning.

Megatron released a wicked laugh as he ducked to avoid decapitation… _the irony_. He had a feeling Prime did that on purpose in retaliation for his insult.

"—then after he's helped me display your cold, lifeless shell within my hall…that's when I'll turn him from slave into pet. I'm sure the boy at that point will be far too traumatized to continue his role as a slave, especially after he is forced to polish your corpse twice a day. My hard-earned trophies must always remain spotless after all…otherwise they just aren't worth displaying."

That one remark was all it took to make Optimus crack. Prime's reaction was just as Megatron envisioned. He couldn't believe it…

"That will _**NEVER**_ be Jack's future!" Optimus shouted as he felt tendrils of hot, blazing fury slowly begin to creep into his spark. It was beginning to consume him like a cancer and threatened to bring with it an encroaching darkness.

Now the Autobot leader fueled his attacks with raw, unbridled emotion.

His already palpable rage was steadily mounting, like a dormant volcano about to erupt, despite his best efforts to control it. Optimus of course was doing his best to put a lid on it but for some reason, this time was different. Why was it so hard to reign in? Why was he losing control?

His mind raced as his spark began to beat erratically. He wasn't often subjected to unleashing raw emotion on such a massive scale.

Optimus delivered a powerful side-kick and sent Megatron flying to the far side of the glade. Optimus placed a hand over his chest and paused mid-battle to try to fully grasp and to try understand what was truly happening to him.

Then without warning, everything fell into place.

 _Jackson Darby. He was the catalyst!_

Optimus realized in that moment…that he loved him as though he were his youngling! He viewed Jack as though he were his son and now he was savagely fighting in an effort to protect him from certain termination at Megatron's merciless hands. It was a very strong, paternal instinct. One that Optimus Prime never imagined would overcome him.

The Autobots over the centuries considered each other as family, especially team Prime. However, _this_ was foreign…this was different. It was new…and he couldn't remember ever experiencing such an amazing thing before.

In the midst of the war that ravaged their home planet, parental ties and bonds with surviving younglings became less frequent as countless generations were lost in the destructive wake of the Decepticons' cruelty. Due to their helpless and vulnerable nature the sparklings and younglings were always targeted for termination first. The last thing that the Deceptions wanted to deal with were additional Autobot recruits.

In passing centuries, the Autobots no longer had the time or enough resources to nurture and care for newer generations as their dwindling army desperately fought to protect and preserve them. The Autobots gave it their all and many sacrifices were made…but in the end… their noble efforts failed. Cybertronian youth centers were destroyed by Megatron and the Decepticons. They were bombed to piles of rubble. To ensure that all of the sparklings and younglings were permanently offline, Megatron sent in search and destroy ground units to comb through the twisted wreckage to finish off any survivors. The unforgivable, mass genocide continued until it had swept across the entire surface of their planet, endangering the Cybertronian race. It brought them to near extinction.

The few civilians that miraculously survived the initial destruction, managed to escape with the Autobot's help, and were shuttled off-world. Many important relics and data-cubes containing the historical and collective knowledge of their race were sent along with them. The Autobots could only hope that their departing kin would remain safe as they journeyed forth to find for themselves a new life amongst the stars. Primus willing, they would find a secure haven. A place free from the horrors of war. They were going to survive and ensure that their race wasn't annihilated from the face of their world forever as the Autobots remained behind to deal with their shared enemy. They would patiently wait, care for the little ones who were smuggled to safety, and stay hidden …until the time came at last for them to return home.

While death and destruction continued to reign supreme across Cybertron, ruthlessly and systematically erasing all traces of life, the Autobots despaired… for all hope seemed lost. Then in that hour, Primus restored their faith. He brought to them a precious gift beyond measure…

 _It was days after the last shuttle launch, when Trailbreaker stumbled upon an amazing discovery during a scouting mission. The younglings were not as extinct as they were first led to believe…_

 _There was one sole survivor, barely alive, found within the rubble and shattered remains of one of the youth centers. The youngling was none other than Bumblebee. Upon first glance he appeared as lifeless as all the others scattered throughout the vicinity. The little one was partially buried beneath the debris and from the look of it, had sustained substantial injury. The Autobot turned to leave, unable to bear the sight of the bloody and senseless aftermath wrought by the Decepticons' sparkless slaughter. Trailbreaker only took two steps when he heard the impossible._

 _The youngling whimpered and released a pained and mournful sounding_ _croon_. _The Autobot whirled around with wide, disbelieving optics, and with a commingled cry of stunned and joyful amazement he rushed back to the youngling. The Autobot scout offered up a desperate prayer to Primus, begging the Creator to keep the little one alive as he viciously clawed away at the rubble that was currently trapping the youngling with tears in his optics. Trailbreaker at last pulled Bumblebee from the wreckage and immediately took the wounded Cybertronian child back to the Autobots' main headquarters, where they healed him, took him in, and raised him as their own._

Since that fateful day, everyone unanimously voted long ago that they would wait until the war was over to rebuild their world and prosper their race. Bumblebee to their knowledge was currently the youngest living member of their kind. Optimus Prime always had strong feelings for the little one and mentored him over the years. He did form a sort of familial link with Bee as the youngling matured. However, back on Cybertron, Prowl was the one who claimed guardianship of Bee while the child was still very young...young enough for Bumblebee to forge a strong bond with whomever fulfilled the parental role he was devoid of whilst caring for him.

What Optimus was feeling now for Jack-had to be the resurgence of what their race had long since forgotten.

It was… - _beautiful-_ and it was something he never wanted to lose. Optimus was willing to sacrifice everything for the boy. Even at the cost of his own life. But that was not an option in this duel. If he perished…no one would be able to protect the child. Whether Jack knew it or not…he needed him. To always be there for him.

Optimus Prime no longer feared the dark stirrings within his spark. Deep down he knew it was wrong and that he needed to think rationally but for once in his life he didn't care. The wonderful, awe inspiring feeling was all-encompassing…the purity and light of it was far too valuable and precious, so much so that Prime would be damned if he allowed Megatron to snuff it out and destroy it. He was going to fight to the death to keep it safe and he was going to stop at nothing until the sole threat was removed from the picture completely.

The leader of the Autobots had now become blind by these newfound paternal instincts and his inexperienced emotions quickly clouded his judgment, as he failed to recognize the true gravity of his situation.

If he kept battling the way he was, he was doomed to failure. His logical mind was screaming a shrill warning, one that in the past he never ignored-but Optimus already crossed the boundary of no return. He no longer fought with clarity of mind…but solely with his spark.

With every verbal jab and taunt that Megatron issued against the boy and with every promised threat to destroy team Prime's eldest human youngling… _no,_ _ **his youngling**_ _…_ Optimus immediately and quite possessively corrected, seemed to wound the Autobot leader more than the child, had Jack remained to watch the drama unfold.

His battle with Megatron continued to rage until the generally peace-loving Autobot began to notice the recent destruction around them that the two of them caused. _What had he done?_ Optimus Prime felt his tanks churn at the sight and with it a newfound revelation…

 _He was losing._

Optimus now saw it.

Megatron already knew it.

What would become of him, should he succumb to his rage and lose complete control of himself? Optimus vowed the day he became a Prime, to always walk a noble path and to never be led astray. Could he keep that promise now?

With every despicable word that gushed from Megatron's hateful lips, the further Optimus fell into darkness…

"Once I have defeated you and I claim dominion over this planet…I shall enslave the human race after I've killed those too weak to serve me. Should Jack prove his strength, I'll guarantee the human child you are so foolishly trying to protect, the rare opportunity for a life far better than the rest of his wretched kind. He will become the first gladiator. Humans and Decepticons alike will revere him once he's had a taste of victory. Victory only achieved once he's craved and submitted himself to pure, unbridled blood-lust. Rather Decepticon-like, wouldn't you say?"

"Megatron, _stop!_ _**Don't**_ _!_ " Optimus Prime growled with narrowed optics.

That was when Megatron heard something else in Prime's voice. It was so soft and subtle, he barely took notice of it. It surprised him. Optimus knew he was going to fail and that in minutes he was going to succumb to his rage. The leader of the Decepticons grinned in dark satisfaction. If his audios heard the minute tones correctly…Prime had just _whimpered_ …he was actually _pleading_ and _begging_ with him now. Pleading for Megatron to end the onslaught of verbal atrocities that were destroying his mind and slowly crushing his spark.

 _So it had finally come to this…_

"I'm afraid I can't stop Optimus. I'm just getting started…" Megatron cruelly laughed.

 _This was going far better than he'd ever hoped to imagine…_

The Decepticon leader resumed verbal combat as he easily parried and blocked Optimus's every melee attack.

"Jack will fight ruthlessly to the death in the honor of my name. I promise I will train Jack well…he could at least survive long enough to reach adulthood. Should he surpass even my expectations, I may promote him to the rank of honorary Decepticon." Megatron grinned cruelly and then released a dark, delighted cackle at Optimus's reaction.

" _NOT WHILE I STILL FUNCTION_!"

Megatron continued pretending to ignore him as he raised his sword to block a crazed swing from his agitated adversary.

"I have many more devious ideas of course. Let me share them with you…"

Optimus did not acknowledge him that time and focused solely on his mission to deliver a well-timed strike. He had a battle move he intended to use…but unfortunately after millions of years of fighting with Megatron, both bots already learned, mastered, and knew every single one of each other's fighting techniques and attack methods. They were both very predictable in that regard. That was probably why neither of them had destroyed the other yet.

The Autobot leader lunged forward with his right sword while simultaneously protracting his left blade. Using his right arm blade, he feinted his original lunge that had been aimed for the Deception leader's right shoulder, in exchange for a downward slash at Megatron's left thigh. Almost simultaneously, he brought his left sword up until his fist was touching the side of his battle mask in order to deliver additional momentum and stability as he swung his blade in a wide arc-that if left unblocked, would hit the Deception leader's left side.

Megatron immediately recognized Prime's well-rehearsed attack. He paused for a moment, as though stumped…like he'd never encountered such a strategy, simply to give Optimus false hope that he would succeed. At the last second, Megatron performed the same parry and counter-attack he'd executed at least nine billion times during the endless centuries spent with Optimus on the battlefield. He didn't even bother blocking the first lunge since Prime had already begun to execute a feint. He easily blocked the blow intended for his left thigh and immediately swung his arm blade over to knock Optimus's sword aside to completely deflect the blow to his left flank.

As soon as Megatron finished counter-attacking, Optimus retracted both arm blades and punched Megatron square in his facial plates with his right fist, sending the Decepticon leader crashing to the ground.

Megatron was not at all deterred. Physical combat was not Megatron's primary goal. He needed to resume his original mission if he wished to succeed. If he did not, then his arch-rival would extinguish the growing maelstrom that he'd worked so hard to create in the first place.

Megatron at last noticed that the once pure, brilliant blue optics that Optimus and all of the Autobots' were renowned for…was quickly changing for Prime into a purple tinge as hatred continued to consume and taint his righteous spark like a poison. How could he have missed such a crucial detail? Megatron gave him a toothy grin, one that would have made Jack Darby's skin crawl had he been there to see it.

"DON'T make me do something _you'll_ **regret**!" Optimus snarled his warning with a dangerous edge in his voice. He glared daggers at Megatron as he protracted both swords from his wrist gauntlets and assaulted his adversary with renewed vigor. He forced Megatron on the defensive, unaware that Megatron was _allowing_ him to win.

The Autobot leader was fighting with a ferocity that neither of them had seen since their preliminary battle back on Cybertron…right after Optimus became a Prime. The anger that Optimus fought with the day he first set foot on the battlefield millennia ago as he faced his arch-nemesis-had been righteous anger. The rage Optimus was using _now_ …was _far_ from righteous. He was giving in to dark, all-consuming blood-lust.

It made Megatron crack yet another cruel smile as he dodged a lunge that would have impaled him if he hadn't side-stepped in time.

"My, my Optimus…you do have quite a temper today. Quite unbecoming of a Prime, wouldn't you say?"

Megatron's words startled Optimus and gave him pause. He was unprepared when Megatron retracted his sword and used his arm-cannon to shoot him square in the chest. It hit the Autobot leader like a wrecking ball and sent him hurtling meters away…once again destroying trees and a plethora of plant life. Optimus groaned as he struggled to stand back up. Part of his chest armor was scorched but apart from that, he was relatively unscathed.

Megatron had no intention of destroying his opponent in such a manner…secretly he'd only used a small fraction of the power his cannon usually generated. The Decepticon leader stood a few yards away and leered down at his fallen rival.

"I'm starting to wonder…is the human child anything like you? Would the boy be willing to sacrifice his freedom and his life to save yours? I think it's time we found out, don't you?"

Megatron turned to leave and was surprised when he was pulled down to the ground. Optimus found the strength to tackle him after grabbing his heel strut, yanking his legs out from beneath him.

The Decepticon leader laughed maniacally at Optimus's tenacity. Their one-on-one battles were never dull! He protracted his right sword again after kicking Optimus in the face, forcing the Autobot leader to release his desperate hold on him. He scrambled back to his feet and watched as Prime did the same.

They were both smeared with mud, grass, and leaves thanks to the soggy ground. Neither of them noticed, nor did they care. Megatron gave Optimus an amused smirk as his enemy glared darkly at him. The Decepticon leader knew he'd won…despite the fact their battle was not yet over. It was clear to see in Optimus's optics.

Prime's purple tinged optics were now turning into a light shade of red.

If only Optimus could see himself now, to see what he'd become. Megatron was tempted to grant the Autobot leader a chance to survive…to live with the guilt of how closely he'd allowed himself to be pushed down the evil path he swore he'd never tread.

He was almost going to miss him.

 _Almost._

The time had finally come at last, for Megatron to push Optimus over the teetering edge he'd been so stubbornly clinging to. Hatred would force the matrix of leadership to activate a sort of 'power down' mode, separating its pure energy from that of the tainted Autobot leader's spark as a self-preservation protocol to prevent corruption. Optimus would still retain his memory since the Matrix was still fully intact and was still imprinted with Optimus's spark signature. The whole affair would drain a good fraction of energy out of Optimus and weaken him as well.

At least that was the rumor…long before he and Optimus became mortal enemies. Megatron wasn't sure if it would even work. It was worth a try. He had nothing else to lose.

"My little slave will do my every bidding. I will force Jack to commit atrocities beyond mortal reckoning! He will most likely beg for death in the beginning. That will change over time. He'll become completely withdrawn from the world due to his shattered mind…ultimately turning him from human, into a mere vegetab-"

Optimus screamed in rage as he knocked Megatron's blade aside and grabbed Megatron by both shoulders. The Autobot leader yanked him forward and kneed him in his midsection, doubling him over. Then as Megatron began to stand to regain his footing, Optimus delivered a well-timed and perfectly executed uppercut and smashed his fist beneath Megatron's chin, sending the overbearing Decepticon leader flying backwards as his neck snapped upward from the hard blow. A few trees were snapped and uprooted during Megatron's fall.

Optimus slowly stalked towards his foe with rage burning in his purple tinged optics…promising great pain. For the first time in millennia, the life-protecting, habitat preserving Autobot completely ignored the destruction around them, for his optics were set solely on his foe.

Megatron had already recovered from the attack and stood smugly a few yards away in a completely relaxed posture although his arm-blade remained extended.

"I take it you don't approve of my plans?"

"YOU WILL NEVER…touch him or any other human while I stand! IF YOU EVEN _**TRY**_ …I will **KILL** you, Megatron. That's a _**PROMISE**_ ," Optimus snarled darkly as they once again engaged in a duel.

"Is that so? Who says that **I** need to touch him? Soundwave has been working on a brilliant invention. His ability to trifle through another's mind has been amplified tenfold. He now has the power to control and dominate an unwilling mind. I have chosen the boy to be the first of many new recruits. He WILL join me, Prime. He will **love** and **worship** me…and come to _**hate**_ and _**loathe**_ the very core of you! Human minds are so weak…he'll be ours within seconds…"

Optimus screamed in outrage and fought like one possessed.

At long last, the rumor concerning the nature of the Matrix of Leadership was finally confirmed.

The Autobot leader suddenly cried out in mid-battle as though in great pain and fell to his knees clutching his chest with one hand. Megatron briefly ended their duel and backed away, watching with great interest. Optimus's pain seemed to momentarily intensify, forcing the already kneeling Autobot leader to drop down on all fours. His head bowed and he groaned as he supported his weight with one hand. His other was pressed firmly on his chest, directly above where his spark would be…almost as if he were trying to keep his very spark from ejecting out of its spark-chamber. The sight of Prime virtually bowing down to him, even though Megatron was sure that it wasn't the case here, made his already dark grin widen considerably.

His wicked smile became a wicked laugh once he caught sight of Prime's face as the Autobot leader at last raised his bowed head to look at him.

His optics were now a bright, crimson, _**red**_.

The Autobot leader crawled back up and slightly swayed on his feet for a second as his red optics shot daggers through Megatron's own. With a scream of absolute hatred, Optimus re-engaged their duel although it quickly became apparent that a great amount of energy had been drained from him earlier when the Matrix of Leadership initiated its power-down.

All too soon, Optimus's systems overheated from the severe strain as the dark maelstrom of emotions overwhelmed and consumed the last of his spark energy. Now exhausted, his attacks began to slow. That still didn't stop him. He was far too stubborn to give up so easily. Megatron expected nothing less. What he was waiting for now, was one critical mistake…one small flaw within Optimus's faltering and rather erratic fighting technique.

His patience paid off. Soon he spotted it. After exchanging a couple of aggressive blows and wild swings, Optimus made an effort to finish his flurry with one attempted, impaling lunge with his right arm, leaving his midsection utterly exposed.

He was wide open.

It was now or never…

Megatron ducked as his opponent's blade whistled over his head and then side-stepped to dodge the near fatal lunge. Then he unexpectedly grabbed a hold of Optimus's arm before the Autobot leader could pull it back, preventing him from using his melee weapon and yanked him forward, forcing the Prime to stumble. His small misstep sealed his fate as Megatron reared his sword for the killing blow.

Optimus released a very loud, agonizing cry as Megatron's unforgiving blade pierced through his thick, reinforced, outer-chest armor and then bit deeply into his internal wiring, energon lines, and living circuitry—thus impaling him. It all happened so fast, he'd been stupid and abandoned all logical thought processes for raw emotion.

 _Megatron manipulated him. Megatron used his compassionate feelings for Jack to inadvertently dominate his mind. That was the reason why he was lured here…the trap was created solely for his downfall._

The leader of the Decepticons still had a hold of him and rather than releasing him or extracting his sword, he pulled Optimus closer still, until the two were practically embracing. Megatron then softly growled, the growl sounding more like a purr, in his right audio and added insult to injury.

"You _**failed**_. Despair… knowing that the human child is now **my** property. You call me a monster? Die now with the knowledge that the boy shall become what you fear. I will turn him… _into_ _ **me**_."

With one… final… savage twist, Megatron retracted his arm blade, forcing Prime to issue yet another pained cry. He then lightly shoved Optimus off of him, forcing the Autobot leader to take a few stumbling, steps backward. His battle mask slid back into his helm seemingly of its own accord.

Optimus Prime stood there frozen for a moment with wide optics as he met Megatron's cold and pitiless stare, devoid of even the slightest shred of empathy. Prime instinctively pressed one hand firmly over the mortal wound that Megatron just inflicted on him in a desperate attempt to stem the bleeding-his processor unable to fully grasp the fact that his efforts were in vain. Seconds later, Optimus pulled his hand away to look down at the gaping hole in his chest in utter confusion as though it was never meant to be there. His expression turned into one of shocked denial as he pulled his hand away to look at the energon that now drenched it. Megatron's optics brightened with sick satisfaction as he savored the look of pure horror and disbelief that was plastered on Optimus's face.

Megatron then took a step forward, lifted his right leg, and mercilessly delivered a strong front-kick that hit his defeated rival's lower midsection and sent Optimus flying away from him. Megatron watched Prime sail backwards to crash painfully to the unforgiving ground. Megatron then slowly ambled towards his broken and fallen rival with the intention of watching the last of the flickering light fade from his dimming optics…

Then something happened. It caught Megatron completely off guard, robbing him of the chance to savor and revel in his victory.

He heard a scream. A human scream. He turned partially to identify the owner of the voice, only to be blinded by a searing, painful light that exploded right in front of his optical sensors. He roared in rage and became even more incensed when he discovered that his optical repair systems could not reboot for another three and a half more minutes. He was completely devoid of sight and for the first time in millions of years, the leader of the Decepticons… _was helpless_.

Jack sprinted across the glade, occasionally vaulting over, and sliding beneath fallen tree trunks. He slid down and scrambled up out of the large, muddy, impact craters that now dotted and transformed the small area of the forest into a wasted ruin, just so he could reach his guardian. He was gasping for breath once he finally made it to Optimus's side and slid to a stop just inches away from his unmasked face. The look of agony the Autobot leader bore, frightened him. Prime's optics had reverted back to a purple tinge but were slowly returning to their original blue.

"Jack…" Optimus nearly whispered. "…you have to get out of here. Please…"

"NO! I'm not leaving you! Ratchet showed me how to do first-aid for Cybertronian trauma victims. Now I'm beginning to think it's because the doc always has your welfare in mind…now hold still." Jack ordered firmly, almost sounding like a near replica of the infamous Autobot CMO.

The teenage boy pulled out his emergency repair kit, one that Ratchet had given to him as a gift. Jack Darby never imagined there would come a day when he would have an urgent need for it.

He would have to thank Ratchet once they made it back to base.

His hands began to shake as beads of nervous sweat continually rolled down the side of his face, only to be simply wiped away seconds later with the damp sleeve of his sweat soaked clothing, accumulated from all of the running he'd done within the past hour. He sorted through his tools after clambering atop Optimus's chest, careful to mind the dire wound that the large bot sustained. He felt immensely relieved to see that his spark chamber had not been pierced and remained fully intact. Megatron's blade missed it by approximately three feet.

Jack was on the verge of an all-out anxiety attack when he heard Megatron behind him, snarling and roaring like an escaped demon from the gates of hell, as he stumbled around still clawing at his optics as though there was an invisible blanket covering them. Luckily the Decepticon leader was too far away for Jack to worry about being stepped on…for the moment.

Jack tried to get his breathing and shaking hands under control as he tightened his grip on the large wrench in his hand and choked on a barely contained sob. The teen was startled when Optimus gently took his small hand within two of his large fingers and carefully rubbed his palm in an attempt to calm him.

The Autobot leader's purple-tinged optics returned to their original cerulean blue as the last of his burning hatred melted away.

Jack locked eyes with Prime's briefly flickering azure ones. For the first time, it was if they were permitted the rare chance to look deep into each other's souls. It took less than five seconds within normal space and time…for the duo, it felt like a small eternity as the familial bond that they already shared seemed to strengthen.

The roars, harsh screams, and death threats that Megatron issued behind them all became muffled background noise. It was almost as if Jack were hearing the outside world from beneath a gently, flowing stream of steady water…the terror that he previously felt trickled away and was replaced with a serenity of the like he never thought possible.

His former trembling ceased. In some unexplainable way…it was almost as if Optimus had lent him, some of his courage.

Now with unwavering, newfound determination, Jack set to work sealing the worst of the energon leaks. He re-attached torn wiring and soldered them back together as a sort of temporary tourniquet by using a mini blow-torch to cauterize the fuel lines that were ripped open by Megatron's blade. The teen felt a small bout of nausea when he realized the extent of the damage that was inflicted. After soldering he used a special adhesive that Ratchet made himself, to patch the repair work, so that the major, necessary components needed for at least one transformation into vehicle mode were now operational. It was most likely the only way the two of them would escape this encounter alive. In the condition Optimus was in…the Autobot leader would consider himself lucky if he had the strength to walk half a mile…

Jack tried to remain calm as the internal timer set within his mind began to alert him that they had roughly 60 seconds until his ingeniously invented flash-flare wore off and Megatron's optics came back online. The butterflies in his stomach and the persistent urgency that they needed to escape, quickly poured large amounts of adrenaline coursing through his veins. As uncomfortable as it felt, in the long run it did aid him in his triage repair work by helping him to speed things up a bit.

Jack was able to cauterize and prevent Optimus's broken energon lines from leaking and before long, he had the worst of the damage temporarily patched but knew it was not a real fix. Optimus was definitely going to need Ratchet's expertise on this one…

"Come on, Optimus! I hate to rush you but you have to get up! You have to transform. Can you do that?"

Optimus shuddered as he struggled to crawl into a sitting position and groaned.

"I'll try…"

That's when Jack realized that the death threats Megatron was previously issuing and the large titan's heavy stumbling had ceased.

Jack turned his head around with dread. His eyes flickered upwards and to his horror he saw that the effects of his weaponized flare had finally worn off. Megatron stood yards away glaring hatefully down at the two of them.

Jackson Darby shuddered at the Decepticon leader's enraged expression. It promised an excruciating death and long-lasting retribution…

Then it occurred to him…Megatron wasn't looking at Optimus Prime…he had his sole focus on _him_.

"Your interference, _**Jack**_ …will cost you your life! Who would like to die first?!" Megatron snarled as he aimed his fusion cannon at them.

"Sorry to disappoint…but the grim reaper has an extensive list-and we're not on it today!"

Jack Darby quickly drew his extensively modified flare gun from where he'd had it tucked safely away behind his back, right at the waistline of his jeans, and was more than relieved that it had remained hidden beneath his shirt the entire time to conceal it from view.

He was so very thankful that he'd had the presence of mind to reload his flare gun earlier while he'd rushed to his guardian's side.

Jackson Darby caught Megatron by surprise the first time. He could only hope he'd be able to do so once more, as he sent up a silent prayer. With a deep frown of his own he quickly aimed at Megatron's face and hastily pulled the trigger.

Megatron howled in outrage as he was blinded a second time, only now his repair systems were able to marginally compensate and reduced the repair time by 20 percent. That still didn't stop the behemoth from releasing a string of profane curses now that the human child outsmarted and incapacitated him twice.

"I will **KILL** you for this child! _**I will find you**_ of that I can promise!"

Jack ignored him and encouraged Optimus.

"Come on Optimus…we have to hurry. I don't know how long that flare will last this time…you can transform, I believe in you."

It took over a minute for Optimus to finally succeed after many failed attempts but once he finally did Jack took a step on Prime's running boards beneath the driver's side door and clung to it as he directed his guardian on where to go. Jack wasn't going to take any chances by worsening Prime's health. So he didn't bother climbing in to the Autobot leader's front seat. The teen actually had to forcefully shut Optimus's door closed a couple of times because the stubborn bot kept insisting that Jack get in regardless.

As they left the clearing far behind them, Jack entered a numeric pass-code, confirmed that the function he was about to activate was very much intentional, and then tapped a button on the main screen of his cell phone before tossing it over the side to land in a passing bush along the way. It was yet another one of his clever inventions that would buy them time. Time enough to hopefully find and establish some form of communications link with the Autobot base. The only problem now was, his cell phone was gone and if Megatron was smart enough to have recorded the frequency of his speech pattern then using any other satellite connected cell phone would lead the Con straight to them.

They would have to find a pay phone. Pay phones ran direct lines through the city's power cables and were therefore nearly untraceable.

Yet there was another problem…they were in the middle of nowhere. Where could they possibly hope to find one? Jack was more than elated when he spotted a structure of some sort in the distance. He held a hand to his forehead to shield his eyes from the blinding sun.

It was a gas station!

He groaned when he saw that it was out of service. Well, they were going to put it _into_ service. It was their only chance.

Ten minutes of travel time had gone by from the Cybertronian death arena to the partially concealed car lot behind the gas-station. He had Prime pull into the old abandoned repair shop adjacent to the little convenience store that now had empty shelves. Dust accumulated within the buildings and the metallic hinges and locks on the windowsills and doors were thickly rusted.

After they were safely out of sight and Optimus parked within the shop, Jack was going to firmly instruct that Optimus remain alert but his guardian had already shut down into repair stasis. The boy cursed and began to pace in front of Optimus as panic began to overwhelm him.

Megatron was no doubt hunting for them now. Jack wouldn't put it past the Decepticon leader. He had nearly killed Optimus Prime after all and would probably stop at nothing to finish the job. This was probably going to be the last opportunity he would get for perhaps millennia to vanquish his foe forever.

Jack was never going to let that happen!

His cell phone that he threw into that nearby bush along the way was set with a detonation timer. It would no doubt explode once the Con examined it. The phone repeated set intervals of chiming and vibrations that would capture Megatron's attention and lead him over to his little trap. The small tremors released from the phone would shake the leaves and make it sound and appear as if someone was hiding there.

He took in a few, calming, ragged breaths and tapped his forehead with his fingers as he tried to think his way through their current dilemma. Jack looked at Optimus and figured the smart thing to do, was immediately conceal Prime's vehicle form.

After minutes of searching, he found a large, brown, dusty old tarp. It wasn't large enough to conceal him entirely but they would have to make due. He clambered atop his guardian's recharging body and pulled the tarp over the front half of his truck mode. Jack then slid down from his perch and took a second to ensure that his makeshift, ingenious camouflage net did the trick.

As he turned to leave, his eyes caught sight of something trickling beneath his guardian. Upon closer inspection, Jack noticed something dire.

Optimus was leaking energon. The temporary, life sustaining first aid treatment he performed during Optimus's 'rescue' was now failing. He needed to get Prime back to base only they had a serious problem now…

It was after Jack made it all the way back to the park entry gate right when Optimus's battle began that occurred over an hour ago, that he discovered that there was no cell phone reception for _**miles**_. He couldn't call the base and request back-up or even a ground bridge…

And there was no WAY he was going to abandon his guardian.

Now in hindsight, Jack was thankful he didn't logically continue to hasten further away to get a minute amount of reception. If he had…Optimus would probably be dead right now.

So now it was up to him to ensure that the Autobot leader returned to the others in one piece, or in the very least, alive. The sixteen-year-old boy grabbed a plastic, yet durable creeper board from a nearby workbench, and hardly noticed his good fortune-that it was the only thing in the entire shop that wasn't broken or run down. He didn't even bother wiping off the dust and oil stains that had accumulated on it…

He flopped down on his backside, planted both feet against the floor, and in one solid kick, he sent himself rolling beneath Optimus's truck mode. Jack immediately assessed the situation and took note of the worst of the damage that needed immediate triage repair. It looked like one of the fuel lines that he previously soldered had torn wide open. Bright blue energon was leaking in a continuous, steady stream to puddle beneath the Autobot leader's vehicle form. Jack's eyes widened in horror at the sight and he couldn't stop a stress induced curse from screaming passed his lips.

"SHIT!"

Jack tried not to panic when he reached over the side of the creeper board he was on, only to grasp empty air. He searched all around the creeper for the backpack that he thought he brought with him before his desperate slide beneath the formidable semi-truck, only to remember that he stupidly left it near Prime's front bumper. He snarled and cursed his own stupidity as he prepared to launch himself back to where he left it.

"DAMN IT! YOU FREAKING IDIOT!"

He yanked himself out from beneath Prime and growled as he snatched it…and then shot like a rocket back to his former place beneath Optimus's damaged chassis. He pulled out all of the tools that he needed and felt his heart begin to sink when he saw how dangerously low his supply cache was. Jack could only pray that his mild delay wasn't going to be a costly mistake. He tore open his repair kit and searched for the necessary supplies he needed to patch it up.

"You aren't going to die on me, Optimus. I won't let you," Jack mumbled with a defiant edge, as if daring the unconscious Autobot leader to argue with him.

He re-soldered the torn fuel line, applied an adhesive, and then used a strong roll of electrical tape to secure it for added measure. He breathed a sigh of relief when he finished and wiped the sweat off his brow with the back of his hand, believing the worst was over.

Then he heard a tiny _**'cling'**_ from somewhere nearby that sounded oddly like a dropped coin. Jack was a mechanic in the making…and he could tell the difference between a dropped coin and a dropped metal bolt or a lug nut. He craned his neck to look for the source of the noise and directed his attention to the upper right quadrant of Optimus's chassis—about two feet from his head. His eyebrows shot up into his hairline when he spotted the dropped bolt on the floor directly beneath a panel that Jack secured back in the forest.

 _That's an easy fix._

It took less than twenty seconds for Jack to screw it back in.

His eyes widened and his jaw dropped a second later. He grabbed his short cropped hair and yanked on it with a frustrated scream when two more bolts popped out of the same panel.

"ARGH! I JUST FIXED THAT!"

Jack took his battery powered screwdriver and began to roll himself a little closer so he could pick them up off of the floor.

Suddenly, he released a high pitched, girlish sounding scream when the panel completely burst open. A small tangle of damaged and sparking wires fell out and hung a few inches above the metallic objects he was so desperately trying to reach.

"YOU'VE GOT TO BE FREAKING KIDDING ME!" Jack screamed as he threw a wrench across the floor with an angry snarl. Fortunately it was a tool he no longer needed.

He managed to swipe up the bolts and gave Optimus's right front tire an aggravated kick and growled at him.

" _Stop being so difficult!_ **Just cooperate!** "

Ten minutes later, Jack finished his emergency repair work and put his supplies away after double and even triple checking nearly every inch of Optimus's frame and undercarriage…paranoid that he missed something critical. If Optimus died… Jack would curse his own incompetence and most likely kill himself for failing to catch any possible wound that he might have overlooked.

Once he felt confident enough that Optimus wasn't going to fall apart in his absence, Jack began his secondary mission. He needed to find a way to contact the Autobot base. Gas stations usually had pay phones didn't they?

When Jack ran outside, his eyes widened in horror at what he saw.

 _Optimus had inadvertently leaked a trail of energon during their_ _getaway. And there was no knowing when and where the trail began._

For what felt like the tenth time that day, Jack vehemently cursed.

"DAMN IT!"

He had to find a way to obscure it or else Megatron would find them for certain!

Jack raked a hand through his hair and forced himself to take slow, deep breaths. He tried to remember what Ratchet taught him. Energon could be washed away, leaving minimal to no trace left behind. Under normal circumstances and in a proper medical facility as Ratchet mentioned in the past, there was a specific chemical compound that could do the trick IF Jack was able to find the right supplies…

The teenage boy used a spare, rusty tire-iron to shatter one of the grungy, dust covered windows and removed all of the glass. He then proceeded to climb through and began to desperately search the abandoned convenience store for any supplies that might have miraculously been left behind when it closed down.

After roughly three minutes of searching, since the convenience store was bare and rather small, Jack couldn't find anything… at least anything he currently needed. The only items left in the store were a couple of empty soda cans, a small box of baking soda, half a bottle of oil, and a broken handle from a wooden broom. Jack growled in frustration and kicked one of the empty cans across the room. He clenched his hands into fists and stared down at the floor with gritted teeth. He felt like screaming out his aggravation…and sobbing out his hopeless despair.

How could he protect Optimus? He was gravely injured, and couldn't really move since he was currently stasis-locked as his repair systems stabilized him, and probably couldn't transform. Jack felt his body growing numb as the gravity of their situation hit him like a wrecking ball. He climbed out of the shattered window he'd cleared away and returned to the dilapidated repair shop. With dull eyes, Jack picked up a can of oil that was sitting innocently on a workbench, only to find it empty. It merely served to worsen his already pessimistic mood. With an enraged scream he threw it with extreme force to the other side of the room. He heard something clatter…a bucket or something must have fallen.

Jack Darby partially pulled the tarp back that was covering the hood of Prime's engine block. He went to stand in front of Optimus's grill and fell to his knees with eyes firmly shut. He rested his forehead against the Autobot leader's dented grill and curled his hands into fists. He gently thumped them against Prime's recharging chassis and clenched his teeth as he felt hot tears forming beneath his eyelids. He was too angry…too upset to let them fall.

Until the memory of what they'd just been through replayed over and over in his head…as if mocking him for his failure. _He blamed himself_. Jack honestly believed that if he hadn't of tagged along with Optimus that day, then they wouldn't be in the situation they were in right now. After all, it was **his** fault that his father was hunting for him…it was **his** fault that Optimus drove him out to Dane county to ditch his stalker…if they hadn't of already been out this far, then he wouldn't of come. He only answered the call and went to investigate because they were the nearest to the wildlife reserve.

Jack finally released a strangled sob and at long last, he finally allowed the hot, angry tears that he'd been withholding to run freely.

"Optimus…I'm so… _ **so sorry**_ …" Jack coarsely whispered as the pain and the sting of his self-blame started to run rampant within his breaking heart.

His breathing hitched a moment as he swallowed a thick lump in his throat and then he resumed his one-sided conversation with Optimus. He figured that his guardian couldn't hear him in power-down mode…at least that was what Ratchet claimed. Still, Jack felt the need to tell him, whether he could hear him or not. A small part of him hoped that he did…

"Please… _how do I fix this_? I need you to wake up…you have to tell me! _**I need to protect you**_! I don't know what to do...I can't hide the energon trail you leaked! Megatron is going to track us down and find us here!" The teen choked as he struggled to contain another sob.

Jack was not generally the type to cry—but this time…he was willing to make an exception. His body began to shake as his sobs and cries became louder and more violent. `

" _Optimus…please don't die!_ I can't do this without you!" he mumbled hoarsely as he wiped the tears off with his sleeve.

After he'd expelled what he hoped would be the last of his tears, he finally stood back up. With dull eyes he looked at the near lifeless shell of his guardian. The only way he knew Optimus was still alive was the soft heat and slight vibration that pulsed through his outer shell. He ran his hand through his short cropped, black hair and released an exhausted, heavy sigh.

Then Jack did something he'd never done before.

He leaned against Optimus's driver's side door and gave him an embrace…well at least the best one he could hope to give, considering the bot's formidable size even in vehicle form. Rather than stretching his arms out, he simply pressed himself against his driver's side door with splayed palms.

" _Don't leave me, Optimus…you're the closest thing to a father that I've ever known. I…I love you."_

As Jack Darby rested his cheek upon the smooth, warm metallic surface, something strange happened…

A strange tingling feeling began to creep through his fingers and then traveled down the length of his entire body. Then suddenly, it felt as if he'd been struck by a bolt of lightning. It was overpowering, overwhelming…but it didn't hurt and it wasn't uncomfortable. It sort of felt to Jack as though he had consumed countless mugs of caffeinated coffee.

 _Then his vision went completely white and he no longer felt himself within the confines of the repair shop. In place of it, were flashes…images of things he was certain that he'd never seen before. Were these Optimus's memories? He felt incredibly confused…_

 _They continued to flash in rapid succession and then suddenly slowed._

 _Jack found himself in a glowing white room with multiple holo-screens that were projecting without the aid of any device. They encircled him and whenever he turned to look at one, a small fragment of video would play. He slowly walked around until at last, one screen in particular stood out from all the rest. The outlines of the screen were green and there was a power button right in the middle of it. Jack released a derisive snort when he recognized the power icon. It looked a lot like the one found on Raf's video game console._

 _He continued to stare at it and was unsure if he should even touch it. When the green outlines of the screen began to flash, he took that as a sign and without batting an eye, Jack pressed his palm against the large screen._

 _A blue bolt of electrical lightning shot out and engulfed him as images seared through his mind…only this time, instead of memories…they were_ _ **instructions**_ _._

 _Then seconds later he felt himself falling into a black abyss and the white room vanished._

Jack jolted awake and found himself sprawled out on the floor. He slowly sat up and groaned. Once he was back on his feet, he dusted off his clothes and nearly swayed on his feet as a fleeting bout of dizziness hit him. His head was spinning and his mind was foggy for a moment as he tried to make sense of what just occurred. Then everything came rushing back.

The teen smiled when he remembered the very brief message that Optimus had given him during that strange…whatever it was that just happened.

 _/"Jack…thank you for believing in me. Now it's my turn, to believe in you…"/_

The human youth gently patted Optimus's hood as his smile widened. The teenage boy's former despondency was soon replaced with defiant determination.

He now knew what he had to do. It brought tears of great relief as he began to follow the strangely imparted, yet unmistakable mental instructions. With narrowed eyes and a devious smirk, he loaded the last flare into his gun. After ensuring that his shoes were tightly laced, he barged out of the repair shop door.

Without looking back, Jackson Darby began to run.

He ran and didn't stop. Hope was finally restored...for he now held the answers to his desperate prayers.

 _Jack knew how to save Optimus…_

* * *

TO BE CONTINUED!

 **Author's Note** : I wanted to post this chapter on July 3rd but wasn't finished editing this…took forever since I'm a total OCD freak when it comes to writing lol. I know this story is really about June and I'm going to get to that very soon. This event with Jack saving Optimus ties in with the main plot so sometime in the next chapter or so she will return! :D Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed!


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note:** Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry it's been over a year since I last posted! Life got crazy as I'm sure some of you know. Truth be told I was almost ready to abandon this story because I lost my muse and my former plot line wasn't to my satisfaction. You have my new co-writer - "Misgel"- to thank for keeping this story alive! Please go check out her stories, she is a brilliant writer! :)

* * *

 **Chapter 8**

It did not take long for Megatron to lose himself in a bloodthirsty rage. Not only was he denied the chance to finish Optimus off…he was bested by a human _child_!

 _Jack_.

He managed to find the little surprise that Jack left for him in the bushes during his harried escape. A small cell phone, caught his attention from afar when the little screen began to flash an S.O.S. message. As soon as the former gladiator bent down on one knee to further examine it, the little device emitted a concentrated EMP burst which scrambled some of his circuitry and further impeded his search and destroy mission. It was a rather clever trick. One that he would never fall for again.

When his repair systems finally corrected what damage had been done…the leader of the Decepticons resumed his search. He knew he was close—until the energon trail created by Optimus Prime's seeping wounds abruptly ended about half a mile from the battle zone. Then a malicious, toothy grin crossed his face when he caught sight of another trail. It was hours later that he discovered that it was in fact, a false trail… no doubt leading him further astray. If his mood wasn't already dark enough to begin with…it was downright murderous now.

Megatron snarled in rage when the cold reality sank in that his prey had successfully eluded him.

 _For now…_

He was not one to admit defeat so easily. Now that things had become decidedly more personal...Megatron continued on foot, unable to ignore the insatiable need for vengeance.

 **-3 weeks later: Present Day-**

Jack sighed with relief once the last bell rang. School was finally out for the summer. Now he would have more time to spend with the Autobots. _Ratchet would be thrilled_ …

That reminded him…the Autobot CMO should be releasing Optimus Prime from his dreary imprisonment in the medical bay. For the past three weeks, Jack made it a habit to visit the

Autobot leader during his recovery. It was a miracle, really…how Jack was able to save Optimus from his arch-rival. In the end though, it seemed that Jack was the one in need of rescuing. If it wasn't for Arcee and Bulkhead, he would have been a goner for sure.

 **-FLASHBACK-**

 _Jack managed to gather up the supplies needed to conceal the energon trail that Optimus leaked during their escape. He grabbed a bucket, the box of baking soda from the gas station store, the bottle of motor oil, and then ran to retrieve the last ingredient. At the back of the room he found sawdust. He filled the bucket with about two cups worth of water and then proceeded to mix in the oil, baking soda, and sawdust with it. It was such an odd mixture that Jack was skeptical it would even work. The consistency in the very beginning was more than questionable._

 _ **This**_ _was supposed to obscure the energon trail? According to Optimus's instructions… this was it._

 _He found a secondary bucket in the back and was able to fill it a quarter of the way with the energon Optimus had already spilled. It made him sick to his stomach… seeing as how energon was his guardian's equivalent to blood. It made him shudder._

 _Once Jack finished he began to clean the energon that remained on the repair shop floor. The last thing they needed was for Megatron or one of his cronies to appear with an energon detector._

 _Jack made sure Optimus was safely obscured with the tarp and patted his hood gently with a small smile._

" _I'll be back soon, Optimus. I promise," he said softly and began to leave but stopped and turned back to look at his substitute guardian's unconscious form and said one last thing in afterthought._

" _And if you die while I'm gone, I'm going to kill you!"_

 _The teenage boy picked up both of the buckets and ran outside. Using a small metal cup, Jack was able to carefully scoop out some of the odd, smelly mixture out of the first bucket and made sure to pour it over each and every energon droplet and puddle that led from the gas station all the way back to the forest. Once he'd accomplished that, he concealed the drying mixture with dirt. It was very slow going and the entire time, the boy was paranoid as hell that Megatron would spontaneously appear to enact his promised revenge._

 _He could almost still hear the psychotic warlord's death threats. His pulse quickened and he had to ward off a panic attack. He wasn't going to be helping his guardian by totally losing it._

 _Jack did everything in his power to ward off that heart stopping fear the further he ran. He prayed that Optimus would not be discovered while he was away. That too kept him on edge._

 _Jack released a weary sigh of relief when he successfully obscured the energon trail from the gas station to about a mile and a half into the forest. His anxiety grew the further he crept through the foliage. It unnerved him that he had no way of detecting Megatron's presence. The Kaon gladiator could be anywhere…_

 _The sixteen year old shook his head and growled angrily at himself. Now was not the time to be thinking like that! He took the cup and rinsed it in a muddy puddle nearby and then did his best to dry it off. Then he used the metal cup to scoop out some of the energon in the second bucket. He then did something extremely clever… he began to create a false trail and went about two miles in a completely different direction. Jack made sure to use every last drop of energon from the metal pail._

 _Getting back to the repair shop proved to be extremely difficult. He'd had to remove his socks and shoes along the way since the ground was still heavily saturated with rain and mud. It would totally suck if Megatron simply followed his footprints from the forest back to the station. Thanks to his Eagle scouts survival training, he knew how to remain undetected. It was an ingenious method of throwing off the scent of a predator. He found a stream…one filled with smooth pebbles and grinned in triumph. There was no possible way that Megatron would be able to track him through this. The stream ran about three quarters of a mile to the northeast of the repair shop. Jack knew he would have to proceed on foot from there and take an alternate route back to the gas station._

 _To his extremely good fortune, Jack ended up on the winding road that ran back to Jasper. Of course that wasn't his primary destination. He began to run down the road in the direction of the auto shop after pulling on his smelly socks and muddy shoes. The poor boy was more than winded and felt ready to collapse from exhaustion…but he couldn't. Not yet._

 _There was one final task._

 _ **Find a pay phone.**_

 _Jack felt like dancing for joy when on the way back, he passed by a small convenience store._

 _That wasn't what had him so excited though. It was what stood out front._

 _A gleaming pay phone. Jack ran straight for the phone. It was not like city pay phones that had booths. It was simple. And offered no privacy. Jack didn't really care at that point. He could already feel tears welling up in his eyes as he slid to a stop right in front of it. He dug shaking hands into his pockets and fished out the few quarters he always carried. He cursed silently to himself when one of them slipped out of his fingers. He bent over to retrieve it. Over the years the young man had become a preparedness freak in his own right._

 _That trait only intensified tenfold once he was thrown into the middle of this crazy, secret, alien war._

 _With shaky fingers he managed to insert three quarters and immediately dialed Miko's cell phone number. Most kids his age never bothered to memorize phone numbers…who needed to when you had speed dial? Once again, it was thanks to Jack's survival training._

 _It rang at least four times before the Asian girl finally answered. She had probably been debating on whether or not to answer the unknown number. When she began to speak, Jack choked on a relieved sob._

" _Kon'nichiwa_?"

" _Miko!" Jack cried, almost falling to his knees in relief. "It's Jack!"_

" _Jack? Why aren't you on your cell?"_

 _Jack glanced around to make sure there were no potential eavesdroppers nearby and felt his tension relax a notch to see that he was the only one outside._

" _I had to get rid of it, it's not safe."_

" _What are you talking about?"_

" _No time. Optimus is hurt really bad, and he needs to get to Ratchet as soon as possible. Megatron's after us-"_

" _Whoa, whoa, Megatron's there?!"_

" _And he's pissed. Like, really pissed."_

" _What happened?"_

" _Um… I shot him with a flare gun…TWICE..."_

" _WHAT?!"_

 _Her loud shriek forced Jack to yank the phone away from his ear with a pained grimace._

" _Where are you?" she demanded._

 _Once he was sure the girl wasn't going to start screaming and ranting, he continued._

" _Dane County Wildlife Preserve." He took a risk, adding, "I left Optimus in some auto repair shop."_

" _Well, that narrows it down," Miko muttered sarcastically, and Jack rolled his eyes at her dismissive attitude._

 _He opened his mouth to reply, only to wince as suddenly a dull ache throbbed from behind his eyes. The teenager grunted, hand flying to his forehead, as an image seared into mind. Suddenly his mouth moved before he could stop it._

" _Miko! Take down these coordinates! 39 degrees 15'15"N and 117 degrees 07'40" W. Got it?"_

" _Whoa, where did that come from?"_

" _Just do it!"_

" _Okay, bossy." There was a tense pause filled with the scribbling as Miko jotted down the coordinates. "Uh… what you say again?"_

 _Jack rolled his eyes and repeated the numbers slowly enough for the girl to process. It took longer than he liked, and every moment that passed by made him all the more jittery._

" _Got it!" Miko said at last. "Texting Bulkhead right now! Back up's on the way!"_

" _Right, just hurr-"_

 _With that, the line went dead, replaced by an automatic voice message. Jack sighed. At least Miko picked up and he gave her coordinates. He only had to wait a few more minutes. And then the 'Bots would find him, and Ratchet would save Optimus Prime, and this horrible nightmare would be over-_

" _Well, well, so it seems a little pet has strayed from its master."_

 _The blood in Jack's veins turned to ice. No._ _ **No**_ _, it couldn't be-_

 _It was then the boy saw the dark, menacing, huge shadow that cloaked over him, chilling the air by several degrees. For a long moment, Jack was frozen in place, muscles locked together. Then slowly, agonizingly, the boy turned looking, hesitantly, fearfully over his shoulder._

 _Only to meet deadly, burning, furious crimson optics._

 _ **Megatron.**_

 _The Decepticon warlord wore a wicked sneer, like he was looking down at a bug._

" _You thought you could have fooled me with a false trail? One as obvious as that?"_

 _Jack couldn't get his mouth or tongue to move, pinned to his spot by that terrible gaze. Then the scream ripped from his throat._

" _HELP!" he screamed as his legs finally unfroze. Unfortunately, he didn't get very far._

 _Immediately silver claws encased around him, forming a gigantic cage. The ground disappeared from his feet and his stomach violently lurched as he was plucked into the air. Something hard and cold pressed against his sides. Jack wheezed as all the air was squeezed from his lungs._

" _That was clever, insect," Megatron went on, but he was far too venomous to be praising. "But you are still a bug."_

 _Just to make his point, Jack winced as the hold tightened. Pain flared from his ribs, and he knew it wouldn't take much more pressure for them to break._

"Now. Where. Is. _Optimus?"_

 _Despite his current predicament, Jack felt relieved. Megatron didn't find Optimus. His false trail worked, to an extent. Now he just had to wait until the Autobots found their leader, and hopefully the teenager as well._

 _Jack opened his mouth to speak, but only a pained squeal came out. It was then Megatron realized his grip was too strong, and loosened it ever so slightly. Not enough to relieve the pressure, but the boy could take in a desperate gasp of air. He coughed as oxygen forced its way into his lungs. Stars danced across his vision, but Jack ignored them and focused on the gigantic figure instead._

" _G-get fr-fragged," the boy hissed between gulps of air._

 _Sure enough, Megatron's optics flared with insulted rage and the crushing grip resumed._

" _Then perhaps I should crush you here and now like the insect you are?" the tyrant threatened. "Oh, how gratifying it would be."_

 _The claws squeezed. Jack's scream became soundless as all air was violently forced from his lungs. He futilely kicked at the metal behemoth keeping him prisoner. Desperate for air he began to scrabble and weakly claw at the giant hand squeezing the life out of him. His struggles soon lessoned until he felt his body turn to lead and turn completely limp._

 _By now darkness lingered in the boy's vision. His head swam. It could only focus on a single thought: where were the Autobots? They had to be coming, right?_

 _Just when he believed it was the end for him, Jack involuntarily gasped and sucked in air greedily when the crushing force around his ribcage loosened again, allowing him to drink in life sustaining oxygen. It took minutes for him to find his voice again._

" _Th-the-ah!-tobots are c-huh!-ming, y-you know," Jack wheezed._

" _Oh? And where are your masters?"_

 _If only the boy could answer. His limbs were getting heavier, his struggles getting harder. He doubted Megatron realized how tight he was holding his prisoner-Jack doubted he cared._

" _Give me Optimus Prime's location."_

"N-n-never."

 _Megatron snarled furiously, his patience completely gone, and Jack was convinced the warlord was going to kill him right then and there. Then they both heard it._

 _A distant hum of a groundbridge portal, followed by the growls of several familiar engines. Jack tried to yell, only a pathetic squeak came out. Instead he forced out in a hoarse voice, "T-told y-you."_

 _He looked back and forth between his captive and the source of the engines-where Optimus was. Megatron let out a rageful roar that hurt Jack's ears. Suddenly the deadly grip vanished. He didn't even have a chance to scream before he made impact. He hit the ground, hard, pain shooting through his legs. Gritting his teeth, he rolled over to all fours, all the while praying he hadn't broken anything._

 _However, before he could rise an inch, a giant, heavy servo fell on top of him. This time Jack cried out as the claws pinned him to the ground._

" _I should terminate you, pest," the Decepticon leader hissed. "But you not deserve such a merciful end."_

 _Jack blinked. Wha-? It was getting harder and harder to focus. The sterling Titan was turning into a blob._

" _I will make you suffer. I will make you watch as I destroy everything you hold dear. And after the Autobots are gone-after this planet is mine-only then will I allow you to die."_

 _Suddenly Jack heard the engines of the Autobots-coming closer. He couldn't scream, not while there wasn't any air in his lungs. The Autobots knew he was here, right? Surely Miko told them?_

" _Y-you won't win, Megatron," the boy forced out, trying to use whatever was left of his courage. A dark chuckle was his response._

" _Oh, so naive," the Decepticon leader replied. "No wonder Optimus took such a liking to you. It will make it all the more gratifying when I tear out his spark before your very eyes."_

 _Jack chilled at the words. In a low, dangerous purr, it didn't just sound like a threat or a raging rant. It sounded like a promise. One that Megatron would stop at nothing to fulfill._

 _Suddenly a roar sounded through the air. There was a squeal of tires on rough terrain, and the shifting of gears. There were furious shouts._

" _Let him go, Megatron!"_

" _Took your time, didn't you?" the warlord mocked. "So this is how the Autobots value their treasured pets?"_

" _Megatron_!"

 _The grip didn't relent. Jack shut his eyes tight, bracing for the warlord to finish him. To crush him, skewer him. But it never came._

 _Apparently not even the Champion of Kaon fought against uneven odds. With a huff, the crushing pressure on the teenager's ribs disappeared. Instantly he went into a coughing fit, desperately trying to get air back in his lungs._

" _Fine, then, take your fleshling," Megatron announced. "Such an insect is worthless to me._

 _Jack opened his mouth to retort, but an ugly hack came out instead. He glanced up through squinted eyes, to see menacing, glowing red optics peering down at him._

" _Take care to remember the details of our little conversation, Jack."_

 _Hearing his name from the warlord-when Megatron shouldn't have known what it was-sent a chill that crawled down the boy's spine. With that, the Decepticon leader turned away. Before any of the Autobots had the chance to charge their cannons, the sterling titan transformed into a gigantic Cybertronian jet. With a roar of thrusters, he vanished into the skies, all the while promising himself retribution. There would be pit to pay…and a delicious scheme was already forming within his wicked processor._

 _Meanwhile, a bright, blue blob came into the boy's line of sight._

" _JACK!"_

 _Jack blinked slowly as the fog that had enveloped his mind, made it difficult to recognize the worried shout of his loyal guardian, Arcee. He opened his mouth to speak but all that came out was another cough followed by wheezing. His ribcage was sore down to the bone and when he moved a certain way, pain flared through his torso. The teen wouldn't be surprised if his ribs were fractured..._

" _A-Arcee?" he croaked as oxygen slowly began to filter back into his brain._

" _Shh...don't speak." She ordered softly but firmly._

 _Jack began to protest when Arcee scooped him up and began to carry him towards the swirling green vortex of their ground-bridge._

" _I can walk on my own you know."_

" _You can stand on your own two feet again after Ratchet examines you."_

 _Furthur protests died on his lips, when bone-weary fatigue began to settle over him. It felt good to be off his feet...especially after jarring his legs when Megatron dropped him. He was amazed that he was even still alive at all after a fall like that._

 _Soon they found themselves walking into the Autobot base. Jack heard the ground-bridge closing behind them. Thankfully Raf and Miko weren't here yet. The last thing he wanted was for them to see Arcee carrying him like an infant. Jack's breath caught in his throat when his eyes landed on the battered and near lifeless looking form of Optimus Prime who was being hooked up to life-support by Ratchet._

 _Arcee placed Jack, gently down on the couch that he shared with Raf and Miko. He wanted to see if there was anything he could do to help but the warning glare Arcee gave him, forced him to gingerly sit back down._

 _Once he was comfortably settled, he reclined against one of the cushions, and before he knew it...the exhausted teen drifted off to sleep._

 _ **-End Flashback-**_

Jack reached into his pocket to grab his cell phone, only to remember that it was currently in pieces somewhere in the forest… He needed to let his mom know that he was going to be late getting home. Ratchet still needed to perform a follow-up examination of his injuries.

Thankfully he did not suffer broken bones which was a complete miracle. The boy had been sure at least one of his ribs had been fractured but a quick scan proved otherwise. Even after three weeks, Jack didn't have to lift his shirt up to know that there was still dark, angry bruising around his torso. He still wore a bandage around his rib-cage. It was a very good thing that Ratchet had treated him. The wounds inflicted by the leader of the Decepticons would be difficult to explain to human medical staff.

Jack grimaced a little when he thought back to the day his mom tried to hug him after the ordeal. It had been hard to keep that secret from her, but the less she knew the better. It was the only way the boy knew how to keep her safe. It was a little comical when he danced out of reach of her outstretched arms. Usually he was a lousy actor but his mother came to her own conclusion. She believed that he'd finally reached that stage in his adolescent life, when most boys his age avoided physical contact due to that feeling of embarrassment at being coddled, wishing to prove their manhood.

He felt a small pang of guilt at the memory because rather than correcting his mother on the subject, he simply agreed with her. He did miss her hugs...they were always warm, loving, and made him feel safe.

Arcee met him in his garage and together they returned to the Autobot base after ensuring that June was not home. Jack ran his right hand through his hair and released a long suffering sigh when Ratchet greeted them seconds after stepping through the portal. He waved Jack over wordlessly. The teen did not look forward to being prodded since his injury, though mostly healed, still pained him to a degree.

The form of Dr. Ray suddenly appeared three feet away. Jack glanced up to see that Ratchet's Cybertronian form was slightly slouched over and had dim optics. It was kind of strange to see the bots like that whenever they used their holograms.

"Sit." he ordered without preamble. He gestured towards the human sized gurney, the same one Fowler had used when he had his encounter with Starscream during his run-in with Soundwave's mini-drone, laserbeak.

Releasing yet another sigh, the boy did as he was told. His eyes caught sight of Optimus about a second later. To Jack's surprise, the leader of the Autobots did not greet him but gave him an unreadable expression. Then the red and blue titan turned his back on him and walked past the computer monitors and down the hall out of sight.

Jack hardly registered Ratchet's ministrations as his eyes remained locked on the vacant space that Optimus had recently occupied. It did not escape Jack's notice that the normally reserved Prime, had a flicker of barely subdued rage in his optics.

* * *

Megatron returned to his customary position on the Nemesis's bridge. He strode towards his communication's officer with a purpose.

"Soundwave! I have a special assignment for you. I want you to closely monitor all activities in relation to a boy, designation 'Jackson Darby'. I want to know more about him and his family unit," Megatron began before presenting his 3rd in command with a holo-photo of the human child. It was one that Soundwave had taken weeks earlier during an energon scouting mission when his loyal friend had encountered the Autobot's three human pets…Jack being one of them.

Soundwave silently nodded and began to type furiously away at his computer monitor. He paused in his task when Megatron growled softly behind him.

"Report all of your findings to me. The child has become a thorn in my side and I have very…very special plans for him." Megatron released a dark, delighted laugh at the prospect of what he had in store for the boy.

Soundwave acknowledged his master's order with another subtle nod and resumed his work. Megatron left his side. After a cursory look down at himself, a dark snarl escaped his vocal capacitor at the sight that greeted his optics. He was still coated in a thick layer of mud and vegetation. Some of the mud had already begun to harden and dry. A stop at the shower racks would quickly correct the problem. With a disgusted sneer, he plucked out a large clump of grass that had been wedged between the plating in his left shoulder.

 _ **Oh how he detested planet Earth…**_

TO BE CONTINUED!

* * *

Author's Note: Thanks so much for reading! Sorry this chapter couldn't be longer but thanks to Misgel, I should be posting a bit more frequently. Please review and let us know how we are doing! :D


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